香港教育大学

Programme Aims

Science education is very important in contemporary society, because it will not only help students develop scientific understanding of the physical environment around them and beyond, but will also prepare them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and medicine fields, etc., as well as nurturing them to become citizens with enough scientific literacy to make informed decisions on science-related or socio-scientific issues. Regarding the future development in Hong Kong education, the Chief Executive’s Policy Address 2015 specifically stated that the “EDB will renew and enrich the curricula and learning activities of Science, Technology and Mathematics, and enhance the training of teachers, thereby allowing primary and secondary students to fully unleash their potential in innovation.” This educational policy direction also concurs with the recent promotion of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education in USA, Europe and many other developed countries.

The programme aims to prepare qualified, competent, professional secondary science teachers who are able to:

• Demonstrate command and understanding of the subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge of two different science disciplines;
• Apply science knowledge and skills together with appropriate pedagogies to teaching students with diversified abilities and backgrounds, and in different school settings;
• Exhibit professional competence and attitudes in teaching at least two senior secondary science subjects as well as the junior secondary science subject;
• Utilize different generic skills (e.g. problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity) in teaching and learning, and life-wide and lifelong professional development;
• Exhibit proficiency in illiteracy and trilingualism in Chinese and English that facilitates effective communication in school and social contexts;
• Critically and creatively analyze socio-scientific, technological, and environmental issues and concerns in the local, national, and global contexts; and
• Display commitment to teaching with a professional ethical attitude, and a global and multi-cultural perspective.

For each cohort of admission, the programme will specifically offer either Biology and Chemistry dual major, or Chemistry and Physics dual major for the participants to take, so that they will be capable of teaching at least two of the three Science subjects, Combined Science, and Integrated Science at the senior secondary level and Science at the junior secondary level as well as satisfying the educational needs of learners with different abilities within a community that values multiple aspects of intelligence.

Career Prospects/Professional Qualifications

Graduates will lead to a qualified teacher status (QTS) in Hong Kong. They will have acquired sufficient subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge in their chosen science subjects. They can individually teach the junior secondary science subject and two senior secondary science subjects and co-teach the senior secondary Integrated Science subject. They should also be capable of taking up non-teaching positions in editing, publication, community and social services, government and non-government organizations, etc.