Problem-Based Learning in the Field for Schools in Hong Kong: PBL Programs in Kowloon Technical School

Abstract

The future development of Hong Kong owes a radical change in our current education curriculum. Modern views of learning argue that the conventional instruction mode of science curriculum should shift from a transmission approach to a constructivist approach through Problem-based learning (PBL). This is a radically different pedagogical strategy of posing significant, real world situations and providing resources, instruction to learners. The field is an ideal setting for conducting Problem-based learning because field problems are those authentic but often referred to as ill-structured. They are innately challenging in part because of no definitive or simple answers, thus require a full integration of knowledge across disciplines in the problem solving process. It is believed that students working collaboratively as a PBL group will benefit through repeated goal setting, planning, acting, sharing, reflecting, rethinking and refining. Kowloon Technical School has put into practice two PBL programs for S.6 and S.2 students with the support of the Department of Earth Sciences, the University of Hong Kong through her pioneering project, the “Problem-Based Learning in the Field”.