Teachers, Policymakers and Project Learning: The Questionable Use of 'Hard' and 'Soft' Policy Instruments to Influence the Implementation of Curriculum Reform in Hong Kong
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| Title: | Teachers, Policymakers and Project Learning: The Questionable Use of 'Hard' and 'Soft' Policy Instruments to Influence the Implementation of Curriculum Reform in Hong Kong |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Fok, Ping Kwan, Kennedy, Kerry J., Chan, Jacqueline Kin Sang |
| Source: | International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership. 2010 5(6):1-14. |
| Availability: | Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University, and College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University. Web site: http://journals.sfu.ca/ijepl/index.php/ijepl |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 14 |
| Publication Date: | 2010 |
| Intended Audience: | Teachers; Policymakers |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Descriptive |
| Education Level: | Elementary Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Curriculum Development, Educational Change, Foreign Countries, Program Implementation, Teacher Attitudes, Public Officials, Teaching Methods, Elementary Secondary Education, Student Projects, Active Learning, Educational Assessment, Surveys, Educational Policy |
| Geographic Terms: | Hong Kong |
| ISSN: | 1555-5062 |
| Abstract: | Following the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region developed wide-ranging curriculum reforms, including project learning. A recent survey has indicated that over 80% of Hong Kong primary and secondary schools have adopted project learning as a curriculum task. Such an outcome is hard to reconcile both with the culture of Hong Kong schools and the generally bleak picture that pervades the literature on educational change. In seeking an explanation for this apparent success we focus attention on the policy instruments that were used by government agencies to facilitate the process of implementation. Our analysis revealed that teachers were caught in a pincer movement that involved voluntary activities promoting project learning and coercive measures that monitored and evaluated successful implementation. Teachers' views of these policy instruments differed markedly from those of policymakers. This confluence of mixed approaches, while apparently successful, is also shown to be problematic. Finally, the paper is located in a theoretical framework with its origins in recent policy theory that to date has not been applied to educational contexts. (Contains 2 tables.) |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Number of References: | 69 |
| Entry Date: | 2010 |
| Access URL: | https://journals.sfu.ca/ijepl/index.php/ijepl/article/view/198 |
| Accession Number: | EJ898898 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Teachers, Policymakers and Project Learning: The Questionable Use of 'Hard' and 'Soft' Policy Instruments to Influence the Implementation of Curriculum Reform in Hong Kong – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fok%2C+Ping+Kwan%22">Fok, Ping Kwan</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kennedy%2C+Kerry+J%2E%22">Kennedy, Kerry J.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chan%2C+Jacqueline+Kin+Sang%22">Chan, Jacqueline Kin Sang</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22International+Journal+of+Education+Policy+and+Leadership%22"><i>International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership</i></searchLink>. 2010 5(6):1-14. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University, and College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University. Web site: http://journals.sfu.ca/ijepl/index.php/ijepl – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 14 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2010 – Name: Audience Label: Intended Audience Group: Audnce Data: Teachers; Policymakers – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Descriptive – Name: Audience Label: Education Level Group: Audnce Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Curriculum+Development%22">Curriculum Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Change%22">Educational Change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Implementation%22">Program Implementation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Attitudes%22">Teacher Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Officials%22">Public Officials</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Methods%22">Teaching Methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Projects%22">Student Projects</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Active+Learning%22">Active Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Assessment%22">Educational Assessment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Surveys%22">Surveys</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Policy%22">Educational Policy</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hong+Kong%22">Hong Kong</searchLink> – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 1555-5062 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Following the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region developed wide-ranging curriculum reforms, including project learning. A recent survey has indicated that over 80% of Hong Kong primary and secondary schools have adopted project learning as a curriculum task. Such an outcome is hard to reconcile both with the culture of Hong Kong schools and the generally bleak picture that pervades the literature on educational change. In seeking an explanation for this apparent success we focus attention on the policy instruments that were used by government agencies to facilitate the process of implementation. Our analysis revealed that teachers were caught in a pincer movement that involved voluntary activities promoting project learning and coercive measures that monitored and evaluated successful implementation. Teachers' views of these policy instruments differed markedly from those of policymakers. This confluence of mixed approaches, while apparently successful, is also shown to be problematic. Finally, the paper is located in a theoretical framework with its origins in recent policy theory that to date has not been applied to educational contexts. (Contains 2 tables.) – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: Ref Label: Number of References Group: RefInfo Data: 69 – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2010 – Name: URL Label: Access URL Group: URL Data: <link linkTarget="URL" linkTerm="https://journals.sfu.ca/ijepl/index.php/ijepl/article/view/198" linkWindow="_blank">http://journals.sfu.ca/ijepl/index.php/ijepl/article/view/198</link> – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ898898 |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 14 StartPage: 1 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Curriculum Development Type: general – SubjectFull: Educational Change Type: general – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries Type: general – SubjectFull: Program Implementation Type: general – SubjectFull: Teacher Attitudes Type: general – SubjectFull: Public Officials Type: general – SubjectFull: Teaching Methods Type: general – SubjectFull: Elementary Secondary Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Student Projects Type: general – SubjectFull: Active Learning Type: general – SubjectFull: Educational Assessment Type: general – SubjectFull: Surveys Type: general – SubjectFull: Educational Policy Type: general – SubjectFull: Hong Kong Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Teachers, Policymakers and Project Learning: The Questionable Use of 'Hard' and 'Soft' Policy Instruments to Influence the Implementation of Curriculum Reform in Hong Kong Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Fok, Ping Kwan – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Kennedy, Kerry J. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Chan, Jacqueline Kin Sang IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 2010 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 1555-5062 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 5 – Type: issue Value: 6 Titles: – TitleFull: International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership Type: main |
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