Briefing Session on Seed Projects 2013/14

1. Briefing Session on Seed Projects 2013/14 Mr Stephen YIP Principal Assistant Secretary (Curriculum Development) Education Bureau 2 March 2013

2. Key Messages • Why? What are the aims of Seed Projects? • How unique it is? • What are the impacts on Seed Projects? • Way forward?

3. Why Seed Projects (Collaborative Research and Development Projects) as one of the Strategies to Support Curriculum Reform to • generate good practices on new curriculum emphases that could make impact on student learning, supported by collection of evidence, for the reference of other schools • develop curriculum leadership and professional expertise in schools through collaboration of schools, experts and curriculum developers • facilitate/improve overall school-based curriculum development in schools through connecting experiences of Seed Projects to future development and to suit different contexts of schools 起動性 合作性 栽種性

4. Beginning with the End in Mind in 2000 21st Century Learner Learning to learn (2000) The 21st Century Skills (US) Collaborative Problem-solving (OECD)

5. Physical & Aesthetic Development Moral and Civic Education Career-related Experiences Intellectual Development Community Service New Senior Secondary & Basic Education Curriculum Framework 4 Core Subjects: Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics, Liberal Studies 2-3 Elective Subjects out of 20 subjects or out of courses in Applied Learning Other Learning Experiencesincluding moral and civic education, community service, aesthetic and physical development and career-related experiences NSS Generic Skill Value & Attitude P.1- S.3 General Studies

6. For Knowledge Building – Aligning Curriculum, Pedagogy & Assessment Curriculum what is worth learning Pedagogy Alignment for student learning how students learn & teachers teach how to know students have learned Assessment

7. Uniqueness of Seed Projects

8. Uniqueness Seed Projects School-based support QEF projects Curriculum Innovation Curriculum Support CD Visits 「槓桿」性 (leveraging)

9. Relationship between Seed Projects and Curriculum Reform “Seed” Projects • Curriculum development + Reform emphasis • Change agents in schools Seconded teachers • Knowledgein and of practice • Evidence- based School- based support PDP • Theory and practice • Knowledge for practice • Teaching resources • … • School-based • Teaching improvement • Problem solving • Learning community

10. R&D in nature: collect evidence on the process of change • Putting theories into Practice • Try-out new ideas/initiatives • Address to practical needs of students and teachers, student-centred • Disseminate findings and useful experience to schools and public • Build up Learning Community via Change agent (Seconded Teachers Strategies) Uniqueness

11. Three basic questions to be asked in all seed projects • How is the RD project conducted with regard to LEARNING OBJECTIVES, curriculum planning, learning & teaching strategies, LT resources, and assessment practice to achieve aims of Seed Projects? • What is the IMPACTon students, teachers and schools? • What are the FACILITATING and LIMITING CONDITIONSaffecting the processes in 1., and how are the barriers overcome/not overcome (issues)? What experiences could we learn from them?

12. Development Cycle of Seed Projects Action Reflect Plan

13. Early stage of the Reform Education Bureau School Seed Projects Exemplars School School Later stage of the Reform Exemplars/ Network and other experience sharing (self-organised) Adjust & modify Sustainability (Hargreaves D., 2003)

14. “We need an ‘education epidemic’ which can catch on quickly throughout the system. It’s not possible for the system to change fast enough to become truly transformed unless knowledge of what works can by-pass the centre and flow from school to school and teacher to teacher.”Only by linking schools and teachers together into ‘innovation networks’ will it be possible to transfer knowledge about good teaching practice quickly. David Hargreaves, 2003

15. Seconded teachers strategy for Seed Projects - Started in 2001-2002 school year & over 500 seconded teachers have been seconded to CDI since then • Bring in front-line experience to EDB • Develop teachers’ professionalism & insight through exposure to new areas of work and collaboration with other education professionals • Provide cross-fertilization of expertise and experience • Enhance partnership between EDB and schools • Gained professional growth and knowledge through various learning opportunities. Enhanced professional capacity of teachers in curriculum leadership, awareness of learning • Shared views and effective strategies among seconded teachers through professional network established The concept of Change Agents

16. Impact of Seed Projects

17. Impact of Seed Projects

18. No. of Participating Seed Schools (2001/02 - 2011/12)

19. No. of Seed Projects (2001/02 - 2011/12)

20. Impact of Seed Projects on Schools • The practice of curriculum adaptation, collaborative lesson planning andclass observation has begun to take root • School-based curriculum development has become common practice in different KLAs • Generic skills have been infused into daily learning activities across different KLAs/subjects • Schools have developed assessment for learning policies and used assessment to improve learning and teaching • Impact is sustainedthrough continuation of participating seed projects, sharing of experiences among teachers, extending the planning and practice to other levels and reinforcing the experiences gained Sustaining the positive impact on curriculum development, learning-teaching-assessment policies

21. Impact of Seed Projects on Teachers • Enhanced professional capacity of teachers in curriculum leadership, awareness of learning • Teachers become more reflective & their level and skill of questioning in classroom teaching have been promoted • Teachers have better understanding of curriculum planning, learning and teaching strategies in relevant KLAs/subjects • More teachers adopted student-centred approach in teaching • Teachers have designed more activities for students both inside and outside the classroom to enhance learning and teaching • Teachers have more collaboration with professional staff and fellow teachers • Teachers gained professional knowledge and increased their teaching effectiveness

22. Impact of Seed Projects on Students • Improvement in learning attitudes • Students become more motivated and active in participating in class activities. More effective learning (including self assessment and ownership enhancement) with various learning experiences provided. • Students’ learning in relevant KLAs/subjects have been enhanced • Students are more involved, observant and expressive, thus creating a more student-directed lesson and a more interactive class • Students – more interest in aesthetic experiences, confidencein speaking and expressing one’s own ideas Subsequently, students become independent learners. Learners’ autonomy and ownership have been promoted.

23. Some latest first fruits!... A vast majority of NAS students considered the subjects to different extents had helped lay a foundation for their current studies: English Language - 98.4% Chinese Language – 93.1% Mathematics – 90.6% Liberal studies – 85.4% Majority of the students considered OLE to different extents had helped lay a foundation for their current studies/ campus life: Community Service (CS) – 83.6% Career-related Experiences (CRE) – 82.2% Moral and civic Education (MCE) – 81.4% Aesthetic Development (AD) – 75.1% Physical Development (PD) – 73.5%

24. Student Achievements in International Assessments Sustained high student rankings PISA: Programme for International Student Assessment PIRLS: Progress in International Reading Literacy Study TIMSS: Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study

25. Student Performance under the NAS & in the HKDSE Examination • 70% students eligible for post-secondary programmes (10% more than in old system) • 37% students meeting minimum admission requirements for degree courses in local government-funded universities (10+ % more than in old system) • Positive feedback from tertiary and vocational education institutions – 1st cohort of DSE Students more focused, proactive & inquisitive

26. Outcomes of Seed Projects Meetings, seminars, workshops and training courses, forums, visits LPF/LOF, curriculum guides, CDs, reports, teaching materials and exemplars networks and learning communities References in EDB Website 十年樹木

27. Way Forward: Changing Themes • Promote Learning to Learn through the 4 Key Tasks (Reading to Learn, IT for Interactive Learning, Moral and Civic Education & Project Learning) • Generic Skills (other than the 3Cs, collaboration, self-management) • Assessment as Learning (assessment literacy) • Whole-school curriculum planning (& leadership) • Co-construction (e.g. via e-resources/ platforms) • A broad and balanced curriculum for whole-person development will be provided in schools to meet the needs for life-long learning, and to raise the quality of education further • Reflection (across different contexts) & story-telling ability • Self-regulated learning (building sense of agency in schools) • Interface • Our students will possess life-long learning qualities such as information literacy, resilience, motivation, critical mindedness and creativity, + SEN students (Catering for diversity)

28. “香港的教育改革為成功的教育策略和施行，提供了重要示例。改革的範圍及規模實事求是。……勤奮的教師是香港(教育)體制的優勢。”“香港的教育改革為成功的教育策略和施行，提供了重要示例。改革的範圍及規模實事求是。……勤奮的教師是香港(教育)體制的優勢。” (Ben Jensen, Catching Up: Learning from the Best Schools Systems from the East Asia, Gratten Institute’s Report 2011)

29. "Education is not the piling on of learning, information, data, facts, skills, or abilities - that's training or instruction - but is rather making visible what is hidden as a seed. Thomas Moore

30. Thank You