Recommendations have been given in the areas of teachers, the subject and the school according to the data collected in the study. Teachers need to change their attitude towards the use of course books, otherwise, a comprehensive degree (i.e., breadth and depth) of curriculum decision making is hard to be developed. The subject team should utilize the common planning period more effectively by designating targets and developing a work routine. It is also crucial to establish a harmonious working relationship within the team while the panel chairperson is required to lead a professional role. Teachers' professional developments should go hand-in-hand with curriculum development and more efforts should be focused on integrating scattered strengths into the team. At school level, more support should be given to curriculum decision making policy and its culture. Moreover, more professional development opportunities should be provided. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) / The New Edition of the Chinese Language Curriculum was introduced in all secondary schools in September 2002. Major features of the reform cultivate the migration from a single model passage to a more holistic teaching unit, teaching focus has switched from just reading and writing to comprehensive aspects of speaking, reading, listening and writing. While the role of a teacher has shifted from dominating to facilitating, the role of the students has shifted from a passive receptor to an active learner. The aim of language teaching has changed from imparting language knowledge to cultivating generic skills. As a whole, the New Edition of the Chinese Language Curriculum has extended the work scope of the teachers in their curriculum and teaching decision making. For instance, they are able to adjust the course books according to the circumstances of the school. Adjusting the course books or developing school specific teaching resources is a complicated task which requires co-operation and creative input of the teachers. With this in mind, some schools have started the reform of the Chinese Language subject by allocating a common planning period, making room for the teachers to increase their opportunities in curriculum input and decision making. / The present research started in the second year after the introduction of the New Edition of the Chinese Language Curriculum. By applying qualitative research methods, five schools were chosen as case studies, with the teachers of Secondary One as research target, to explore the state of teachers' participation in the curriculum decision making, to understand how the curriculum decisions were made within a subject team, and to investigate the factors influencing the decision making. The data was collected via interviews, participatory observations and document analysis. / The study has concluded six points. (1) Sparing a common planning period by schools cannot guarantee the quality of curriculum decision making. (2) Teachers' degree of understanding towards the curriculum affects their decision making on curriculum content. (3) Teachers' viewpoints on course books will affect their decision making on curriculum content too. (4) The sense of co-operation determines the degree of contribution and involvement by the teacher in the curriculum decision making. (5) The leadership and co-ordination of a panel chairperson is crucial to cultivate a harmonious working relationship between team members. (6) The factors affecting a school are inter-related. / The study reveals that at present, schools have not carried out any restructuring because of individual subject reforms. The common planning period in certain schools is merely the subject policy, not a unified policy in the school. While it has contributed to the significant opportunity for teachers to participate in curriculum decision making, the policy cannot guarantee the quality of the decisions. There are a few fundamental issues which determine whether a curriculum decision making can be developed to a profound and extensive degree. The teachers must be well prepared for the new curriculum by having participated in the pilot program organized by the Education and Manpower Bureau at the time; the subject team must use the common planning period effectively by developing a work routine, and by distributing responsibilities among teachers in the team to make sure that they are engaged and able to contribute; the subject teaching attribution should focus on and reflect the needs of the students as well as the implementation of changes in the curriculum to improve teaching; and lastly, in addition to providing teachers with a common planning period, the school also needs to allocate more resources in the theme of policy making, such as flexible timetables and on-going professional development opportunities. If these factors are missing in the academic subject, teachers will rely heavily on course books and when dealing with curriculum content decision making, they will seldom consider other elements, such as teaching methodology and teaching activities, in a curriculum. / 高慕蓮. / Adviser: Lee Chi Kin. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-03, Section: A, page: 0787. / Thesis (doctoral)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 489-508). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / School code: 1307. / Gao Mulian.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:cuhk.edu.hk/oai:cuhk-dr:cuhk_344191 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Contributors | 高慕蓮., Chinese University of Hong Kong Graduate School. Division of Education., Gao, Mulian. |
| Source Sets | The Chinese University of Hong Kong |
| Language | Chinese, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, theses |
| Format | electronic resource, microform, microfiche, 1 online resource (xviii, 517 p.) |
| Coverage | China, Hong Kong, China, Hong Kong, China, Hong Kong |
| Rights | Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons “Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International” License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) |
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