Scholars of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have recently conducted two studies on moral and character education (MCE). One of them reviewed the related policies and the implementation of MCE in Hong Kong in comparison with those in other countries including other Chinese communities. Another study explored the views of primary and secondary schools principals and teachers on MCE. Both studies revealed that MCE in Hong Kong failed to meet the needs of the times. Given the many challenges in the MCE development, there is a pressing need for a holistic review of MCE in Hong Kong.
These are the fourth and fifth studies of a series of five under the collaboration project of PolyU’s Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS) and Wofoo Social Enterprises. The project titled “Character building – A shared mission for a better future” was launched early last year. Findings of the first three studies that focus on the character development and moral values of Hong Kong adolescents from the perspectives of local students, teachers and parents have been released in late 2017 and early 2018 (please refer to the note and relevant links at the end of the release).
Professor Daniel Shek, Associate Vice President (Undergraduate Programme), Chair Professor at APSS and Li & Fung Professor in Service Leadership Education, released at a press conference today the major findings of the two studies on MCE with research team members.
The fourth study was led by Professor Shek and Dr Janet Leung, Associate Professor at APSS. The study reviewed the existing policy on moral and character development for young people in Hong Kong in comparison with different Chinese communities (Chinese mainland and Taiwan) and other countries (Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States). The researchers found that Hong Kong has been giving insufficient emphasis on MCE development and is facing many challenges, including:
(1) Lacking a comprehensive planning in policy formulation The other countries or regions researched in this study show that they recognise the importance of MCE in cultivating the quality of their people, so they have a clear planning on MCE development. For example, the Singapore government has established guidelines and development strategies on MCE in 2011. The Ministry of Education of Singapore has developed syllabuses of “Character and Citizenship Education” for primary, secondary and pre-university students in 2014 and 2016 respectively. In Hong Kong, there has been a lack of comprehensive planning in MCE. At present, there is no integrated social policy for setting the concrete objectives for MCE development or for monitoring MCE implementation.
(2) Stagnant progress in the development of MCE The study shows that other countries or regions would make visionary reform in MCE to reflect the societal changes and evolving needs of the adolescents in different times. They would add new elements such as the skills required in 21st century, social and emotional learning, positive development for adolescents, character strengths, etc. in the MCE curriculum. In Hong Kong, the government’s “Moral and Civic Education Curriculum Framework” has been in use since its last revision in 2008. It has not been adjusted to cope with the rapid changes and needs of the society.
(3) Blurred concepts, difficult to achieve the aim of “whole-person development” In Hong Kong, the concept and the theorectical basis of the seven priority values for MCE (namely, perseverance, respect for others, responsibility, national identity, commitment, integrity, and care for others) are nebulous and have not been well defined or delineated. The values have not been widely discussed at school or in the society as well. There is also a lack of evidence to support the effectiveness of MCE in promoting such values. MCE does not include social and emotional development, thus may not be able to achieve the aim of “whole-person development”.
(4) The importance of MCE not being valued Parents, the community and the media often place the competitiveness of young people at the forefront. Therefore, resources are usually allocated to enhance the academic achievements, language learning, skill training etc. of our young people, while the importance of moral values, psychological development and social skills are often being neglected.
(5) “Diffusion” of MCE into other courses weaken the effectiveness of MCE programme In many advanced countries (e.g. the UK, the US, Singapore) or Chinese communities (including the Mainland), MCE is a dedicated standalone subject in school. In Hong Kong, moral education is integrated into various subjects (e.g. Chinese Language, General Studies, Physical Education, etc). The component of moral education thus become unclear and its effect is also hard to be seen. Intensive course structure and the emphasis on academic results drive the teachers to put more focus on the academic content of those subjects.
(6) Lack of holistic and formal MCE curriculum There is a lack of holistic and formal MCE curriculum for primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. MCE contents are often integrated into subjects such as Religious Studies, General Studies, etc. There are many themes in MCE, ranging from moral and virtue education, civic education, national education, to anti-drug education, life education, sex education, etc. So it’s essential to develop a well-defined scope and relevant content for a holistic MCE curriculum.
(7) Incomprehensive execution strategies for implementing MCE The strategies for promoting MCE in Hong Kong is uncoordinated with no emphasis on the roles that families, the community and the media should have. In Taiwan, collaborative efforts amongst schools, families, communities, and city or provincial government are encouraged to determine the core values for MCE.
(8) Lack of effective and systematic assessment and programme evaluation Singapore, the UK and the US have regular and systematic assessments on the effectivenesss of MCE. Singapore’s Ministry of Education conducts student self-assessments, peer reviews and teacher evaluations on students each year to review the effectiveness of their moral education curriculum. Governments of the UK and the US would collaborate with local universities to conduct systematic evaluations on the impacts of of MCE. However, the relevant assessments conducted the by Hong Kong Education Bureau focus mainly on the quantity and nature of MCE activities without analysing the students’ feedback on the effect of such courses and the objective assessments about the effectiveness of MCE.
The fifth study was conducted by Professor Shek, with Dr Florence Wu, former Assistant Professor at APSS and Dr Hildie Leung, Assistant Professor at APSS. The researchers conducted 10 focus groups, involving 26 primary and secondary school principals and 6 secondary school teachers to investigate their views on the implementation of MCE in Hong Kong’s primary and secondary school settings. The findings revealed that most of the participants:
(1) affirmed the significance of MCE for children and adolescents;
(2) pointed out that their school has adopted innovative measures that are aligned with their school mission in the implementation of MCE;
(3) acknowledged the important role of school management in implementing MCE;
(4) opined that resources and support from the Education Bureau were not adequate, and they found it difficult to incorporate the official information into athe school-based curriculum;
(5) preferred customised teaching materials;
(6) affirmed the benefits of MCE in promoting personal development of both teachers and students; and
(7) pointed out that due to heavy workload in teaching academic subjects, limited time and capacity would be spared to develop MCE in school.
Analysing the study findings, Professor Shek said adolescents have become more vulnerable in responding to the increasingly complicated developmental and contextual changes. They are facing different issues such as youth violence, peer bullying, dishonesty, self-destructive behaviour, egocentrism, materialism, and disrespect for, or even hostility to parents, teachers and authorities. In response to the complicated and rapidly-changing social environment, there are burning needs to cultivate proper social values in adolescents, build up their positive attitude towards life, and enhance their social and emotional competence.
The research team has the following suggestions on the future MCE development in Hong Kong:
(1) to review and formulate evidence-based policies related to MCE;
(2) to review the scopes and content of MCE and to incorporate social and emotional learning elements (i.e. psychosocial competence or soft skills) into the MCE curriculum for nurturing adolescents’ whole-person development;
(3) to develop “standalone” curriculum for MCE for primary and secondary schools;
(4) to connect with other non-governmental social systems so as to generate an honest, caring society for positive development of adolescent;
(5) to enhance teachers’ training and to cultivate a healthy culture in school that values both academic achievements and moral virtues;
(6) to conduct research regularly on adolescents’ moral and character development, as well as psychological and social competencies; and
(7) to conduct systematic evaluations on the effectiveness of MCE programmes.
Note:
1) Findings of the First Study from the Perspective of Secondary School Students:
- https://www.polyu.edu.hk/web/en/media/media_releases/index_id_6470.html
2) Findings of the Second Study from the Perspective of Secondary School Teachers:
- https://www.polyu.edu.hk/web/en/media/media_releases/index_id_6491.html
3) Findings of the Third Study from the Perspective of Parents:
- https://www.polyu.edu.hk/web/en/media/media_releases/index_id_6501.html
Attachments:
1) Report of the Fourth Study (in Chinese, with English Executive Summary)
2) Report of the Fifth Study (in English, with Chinese Executive Summary)
3) PowerPoint file of the Study Presentation (in Chinese only)
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