Introducing change in the citizenship education curriculum of a Hong Kong primary school through action research

Abstract

This action research project reports the trial of an action learning pedagogy in the citizenship education curriculum of a primary school in Hong Kong. The project was a response to Learning to Learn - The Way Forward in Curriculum Development published by the Curriculum Development Council (CDC) in 2001. The document recommended that implementation of moral and civic education should be child-centred and should allow students to participate actively in learning. The study adopted both qualitative and quantitative methods. It consisted of three cycles of action research: (1) demonstration teaching by the researcher; (2) classroom teaching by a teacher in the school; (3) service learning. Five moral values: respect for others, civic and social concern, collaboration, participation, and self-regulation were identified from the CDC document, in order to investigate changes in the second and third cycles. The response and reactions of students suggested that action learning was effective in the aspects of knowledge, skills and values in the first cycle. However, the reactions of the four teacher-observers caused changes in implementation of action learning pedagogy in the second cycle. In the second cycle, the classroom teaching conducted by a teacher suggested that an action learning pedagogy provided opportunities for participation. Data illustrated that students displayed significant change in collaboration and participation but did not show obvious change in the other three values. After initial problems, the experimental teacher became more confident and competent in use of the action learning pedagogy. The third cycle was a service learning project in a special school for serious mentally handicapped children. A questionnaire on the five moral values was conducted before and after the service learning project. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: Part I was composed of 30 items; each described a scenario of five moral behaviours; and Part II focused on 10 moral values. Results of Part I did not show many significant changes. However, the results of Part II showed significant changes in the post-test survey. Qualitative data indicated that students demonstrated significant changes in the five moral values identified from the CDC document. The results of the research were partially encouraging. Students' learning was enhanced. However, the results also revealed problems in the implementation of the action learning pedagogy, for example the teachers' workload at a time of rapid reforms of the education system.