How do teachers' beliefs affect the implementation of inquiry-based learning in the PGS Curriculum? A case study of two primary schools in Hong Kong.

Abstract

In 2000, the Curriculum Development Council (CDC) of Hong Kong launched curriculum reform for all school subjects to equip students with generic skills perceived essential for the 21st Century. As part of this, the new Primary General Studies (PGS) programme implemented in 2004, adopted an inquiry-based learning approach. The literature shows that inquiry-based learning not only has origins linked to science inquiry and Dewey’s theory of inquiry, but also intersects with theories of constructivism. Similar to constructivism inquiry-based learning also incurs the controversies for its theoretical foundation. Moreover, the precedents of enacting inquiry-based learning in classrooms have alerted teachers to its practice-based challenges.
Furthermore, teachers’ beliefs have been recognized as a major factor influencing teachers’ actions especially in the implementation of a new teaching method. Therefore, three years after its launch, a study was proposed to investigate the impacts of teachers’ beliefs on the implementation of inquiry-based learning in the new PGS curriculum. The research was in the form of qualitative case studies of two schools. Eight teachers were involved, while four of them were studied in more detail. The results show that different teachers held diverse beliefs about inquiry-based learning. Such variation in teachers’ beliefs was found to impact on teachers’ implementation of inquiry-based learning. Finally, recommendations about the importance of teachers’ reflection, arrangement of resources, preparation for teachers and students and in-services training, are made to teachers, school administration, and local authority.
In this study, the “hypothetical components of belief” suggested by Sigel (1985) were adopted as the major theoretical framework and within such a framework contextual factors of individual school were found to have played crucial roles both in influencing teachers’ beliefs and teachers’ actions.