The Current Situation of Science Education in Hong Kong

1. How TIMSS Informs about Learning and Teaching, and Curriculum DevelopmentThe Case for Science Education in HKbyDr. Alice Wong

2. The Current Situation of Science Education in Hong Kong

3. A recap Primary 4 (first 15 countries) 1st  2nd 3rd 4th  6th 7th 9th 8th  14th Science Achievement

4. Secondary 2 (first 15 countries) 1st 2nd  4th 5th 9th 8th Science Achievement

5. Primary 4 Singapore

6. Primary 4 Chinese Taipei

7. Primary 4 HK Primary 4 students are particularly weak in SCIENCE Hong Kong

8. Although HK ranks within top 10 in TIMSS Science at both P4 & S2… • HK student Science achievement is lower than their achievement in Reading and Math. More balanced development can be seen in Taipei and Singapore. Science weaker than Math and Reading

9. Identifying problems from selected questions

10. A bird that lives on a pond is most likely to have which of these foot structures? P4 Life Sci: Bird's foot structure

11. P4 Life Sci: Bird's foot structure Have the students learnt about common poultry?

12. Strengthen linkage to students’ everyday experience Strengthen the linkage between structure/feature to the corresponding function Integrating formal and informal learning, e.g.濕地公園 鳳爪 鴨掌 Making Appropriate Linkages

13. Students have learnt about the characteristics of life in S1 S2 Bio: Life function of Paramecium

14. S2 Bio: Life function of Paramecium Item in which HK % correct is lower than the East-Asian countries concerned Put off by unfamiliar scientific terms?

15. Encourage students to read through the question carefully and they can often their acquired knowledge to answer questions that appear to be unfamiliar • HK students generally have no problem solving questions involving calculation or applying formula (e.g. Density D = m/V), but they are not good at expressing their answers in written responses • Science is a new language which needs support in the use of the correct terminologies and pronunciation, particularly so for students learning with EMI HK students lack confidence in attempting questions of unfamiliar terms/contexts

16. HK students lack confidence in attempting questions of unfamiliar terms/contexts • HK students generally have no problem solving questions involving calculation or applying formula (e.g. Density D = m/V), but they are not good at expressing their answers in written responses • Science is a new language which needs support in the use of the correct terminologies and pronunciation, particularly so for students learning with EMI Support needed for constructed response questions

17. Should the concepts be learnt in a formal manner? Use of everyday terms but How can we strike a balance? Learning content (What are to be included?) but Use of scientific terms

18. In the diagrams below, hydrogen atoms are represented by white circles, and oxygen atoms are represented by black circles. Which of the diagrams best represents water? S2 Chem: Diagram of water molecules

19. S2 Chem: Diagram of water molecules • Physical changes (mixing) vs Chemical changes (forming new things) – Not taught until Sec 3 • Sub-microscopic & symbolic representations of elements & compounds – Not taught in KS1 – 3

20. Which of these diagrams best represents the structure of matter, starting with the more complex particles at the top and ending with the more fundamental particles at the bottom? S2 Chem: Diagram for structure of matter

21. Students have learnt about atoms in S1, yet • Molecules not taught until S3 • Sub-atomic structure not taught in KS1 – 3 S2 Chem: Diagram for structure of matter

22. Should the concepts be learnt in a formal manner? • Some content topics should be moved to the earlier years (chemical changes in S3 vs photosynthesis, respiration, acid-base reactions, etc. in S2) • Related concepts should not be placed too far apart (e.g. atoms in S1 vs molecules in S3) • Revision of the curriculum content Learning content (What are to be included? When?)

23. How well does the HK science curriculum cover the most important scientific concepts?

24. General patterns • More than 2/3 of 81 items in the TIMSS2011 Science Framework are at least covered by half by the local science curriculums (incl. KS 1 & 2 GS & KS3 Sci & Geog) • TIMSS items of Life Science and Earth Science are better covered than those of Physical Science • Recognizing the expected variation in science curriculums worldwide, the coverage of the content domain is not particular inadequate.

25. TIMSS items (Grade 4 Physical Science): Explain the need for a complete (unbroken) electrical pathway for simple electrical systems (e.g., flashlight, batteries in appliances) to work; recognize objects and materials that conduct electricity. General Studies (KS2) Strand 3: Science and Technology in Everyday Life • [Learning Objectives] to recognise some patterns and phenomena related to ... electricity … • [Core Elements] investigating some simple patterns and phenomena related to ... electricity …. Life in the City / Switched On (from Example of themes) • Closed circuits • Investigating electricity (simple circuits) KS2: Electricity

26. KS2: Electricity Reading the Learning Objectives and Core Elements… • to recognise some patterns and phenomena related to ... electricity … • investigating some simple patterns and phenomena related to ... electricity …. Which patterns? Which phenomena? “Simple” vs “complex”? How to investigate? When should I do it?

27. KS2: Electricity And going through the Examples of Themes… Life in the City / Switched On • Closed circuits • Investigating electricity (simple circuits) Okay… I have to include “Closed circuits”. Still, what do you mean by “investigating SIMPLE circuits”?

28. KS2: Electricity Referring to the textbooks… Students using different textbooks will learn the content at different breadth

29. KS2: Electricity Studying the textbooks in further depth…

30. KS2: Electricity Learning content and activities not well specified in the curriculums Teachers depend on the textbooks to define the scope and depth of learning Students from different primary schools study the topic “Electricity” at different depth and have different learning experiences.

31. KS2: Electricity What’s the problem then? Assuming that they were using 今日常識新領域 And these students all go to the same secondary school and they were using 朗文常識

32. KS2: Electricity I want to perform the “Energy conversion experiments” as specified in the syllabus. However some students have performed very similar experiments before in primary schools, while some have not… Should I skip that and move to the more challenging topics instead? It seems that most of my students have learnt about the generation of electricity in primary schools . I can cover the topic at a higher pace… Yet, would those less prepared unable to catch up? Should I require my students to study the cases in which the circuits are not closed? This could help reinforcing their learning about closed circuits… yet some of them have done that activity in primary school… They would be bored!

33. KS2: Electricity Teachers cover every concept stated in the syllabus She used a more comprehensive textbook in primary school How can we strike a balance? Teachers skip the concepts that most students have learnt in primary schools She used an easier textbook in primary school

34. KS2: Electricity • Teachers in later Key Stages should be informed of students’ prior learning. • Students with much different prior learning experience under the same topic would pose challenge to the design of learning activities at secondary level. • A higher degree of specification in the science curriculum may be needed.

35. Further remarks… • Teachers should tailor the learning experience to cater for the different learning needs among the learners versus • There should be certain extent of uniformity among the curriculums used in different schools to ensure no student is disadvantaged (both the talented or less success ones may be disadvantaged!)

36. TIMSS items that are not covered in the local science curriculum (KS1 – 3) at all: • Major structures in plants and the relationship to their functions • Biological actions in response to external and internal changes to maintain stable bodily conditions • Relationships between reproduction and survival • Use of evidences (comparison among living things and fossils) in studying the changes that occur in living things over time Missing content: Life Science

37. TIMSS items that are not covered in the local science curriculum (KS1 – 3) at all: • Compare and sort objects and materials on the basis of physical properties • Study of mixtures ; Rate of dissolving • Poles of magnets; Magnetic attractions and repulsions • Heat as energy transfer; Thermal conductivity; Methods of heat transfer • Relate temperature changes to changes in volume and/or pressure and to changes in the speed of particles Missing content: Physical Science

38. TIMSS items that are not covered in the local science curriculum (KS1 – 3) at all: • Physical state, movement, composition and relative distribution of water on Earth • Fossils as evidences for the changes in Earth’s surface • Compare and contrast the physical features of Earth with the moon and other planets • Role of gravity in the solar system Missing content: Earth Science

39. Non-human organisms (e.g. plants) neglected • Similarly, planetary objects in the Solar System (except Earth) neglected • Insufficient attention to the structure-function relationship • Study of systems are limited, e.g. • Bodily function to maintain stable internal environment • Reproduction to ensure the survival of living things • Role of gravity to the Solar System Balance between familiarity & breadth Inter-actions between parts of the systems Features of these missing components:

40. Use of non-experimental evidences (e.g. observation, fossils) neglected • Key concepts in physical science missing: • Classification according to (physical & chemical) properties • Magnets and electromagnets • Heat, heat transfer and gases Importance of the contentwithin the originating subject disciplines Features of these missing components: Revision of the curriculum regarding (a) whether the learning content is of sufficient breadth, (b) whether they represent the most important branches in science, and (c) whether they would foster students’ understanding of interactions and the part-whole relationships is needed

41. Issues regarding learning content - What might teachers do? • Careful consideration of the learning content to be covered in class: • Does the learning of such content require prerequisite knowledge that students have not learnt in their previous learning experience? • What are the other relevant learning content in the curriculum? Should these concepts be learned together? Or separately? What are the rationales behind?

42. How to create rooms for enriched learning experience?

43. Example: Pollution and environmental protection Be reminded that students will learn more about the environment in KS4 Liberal Studies! Removing redundant topics Consolidation needed!

44. Collaboration Removing redundant topics

45. Secondary 2 More class time is needed HK’s amount of Science Class Time ranks 34 out of 40

46. Primary 4 More class time is needed * Class time for General Studies, not Science

47. More class time is needed 3 Separate subjects since 1970s Social Studies Science Health Education Curr time: 4-5% Curr time: 2-3% In 1996, added technology elements and integrated into one subject Health and Living National identity and Chinese Culture People and Environment General studies Community and Citizenship Global understanding and the information Era the Information Era Since 2004, organized into 6 strands Curriculum time: 12-15% Science and Technology in Everyday Life Technology in

48. More class time is needed Estimated hours based on recommendation in BECG: Primary 4 - 6 GS per year: 285-356 hours / 3 = 95 – 119 h / yr Science Education component (assuming 1/3 of GS) = 32 – 40 h / yr Science Education component (assuming 1/2 of GS) = 48 – 60 h / yr Science Education component (assuming 2/3 of GS) = 63 – 79 h / yr Secondary 1 - 3 per year: 276 - 413 hours / 3 = 92 – 137 h / yr

49. Variety of students’ learning experience, including students’ engagement in scientific inquiry • Enriched learning experience for the talented, but not to start new topics that they will study with other classmates in future years • Balance between the use of scientific and everyday concepts and terms • Ensuring students are in possessing of the necessary prior knowledge, introduce new concepts and re-order content if necessary • Collaboration among different subjects to avoid redundant content • Class time issue – More time is needed! Take home messages