Sharing of seconded teachers
Teaching Values
in Economics
through issues
Rationale
Why teaching values in Economics?
Why teaching values in Economics through issues?
Why teaching values in Economics through issues now?
Rationale
1. Value Education as a new focus
in the New SS curriculum
Rationale
"The economics curriculum in Hong Kong secondary education
has a strong tradition in positive economics, which emphasizes
its objective and scientific nature. The proposed curriculum also
encourages students to formulate and explore normative
questions. As a study that places prominence on the making of
choices, economics has much to contribute to the enquiry of
issues that involve values and preferences. When students
investigate controversial issues, they will learn to draw
conclusions based on logical analysis, and at the same time be
made aware of the value judgments underlying the choices they
make. Such analytical power and awareness are essential to
making reasoned choices, as well as to develop intellectual
capacity in general." (Proposed Subject Framework of Economics
in the New Senior Secondary Curriculum)
Curriculum Framework(values included contents)
Module
Suggested Content
A. Basic Economic Concepts  Positive and Normative
Statements
D. Competition and Market  Anti-competitive
Structure
behaviours and
competition policy
E. Efficiency, Equity and the  Equity and income
Role of Government
equality
 Government
intervention in the
market
K Economic Growth
 The desirability and
costs of economic
growth
Remarks
+ positive and normative
statements
+ Issues regarding anticompetition behaviours and
competition policy
+ Evaluation of free market
in terms of efficiency and
equity
+ Issues regarding
government intervention
Rationale
Why now?
2. Value Education as a broadening
of teaching experience
 equip ourselves ASAP before the
implementation of the New
SS curriculum
Rationale
3. Value Education as a broadening
of learning experience
 generic skills
(critical thinking skill : multi-perspective
analysis of issues)
 value judgment
Suggested
Activities
Suggested Activities
 Forum
 Debate
 Group discussion
 Video show
 Court case (Role play)
 Interviews
 ……
Try-out
Lesson
Try-out Lesson
1.Preparation
2.Implementation
3.Evaluation
Try-out Lesson
1.Preparation
2.Implementation
3.Evaluation
Try-out Lesson
Preparation work :
1. Choice of issue
2. Data collection
3. Objectives (Knowledge, skills, values, etc.)
4. Choice of activities
5. Design of teaching materials
Try-out Lesson
Choice of issue :
a) Minimum Wage Law
b)Fiscal Budget 2005
Consideration:
 issues embody competing views
and values can stimulate discussion
Try-out Lesson (Minimum Wage)
Data collection :
- Different sources (newspapers,
government publications,
political parties’ publications, tv
programs …)
- Different perspectives
- Different viewpoints
Try-out Lesson (Minimum Wage)
Objectives :
1. Knowledge
2. Values
 To encourage and enable students to know their
own values and those of their classmates
 To encourage and enable students to talk about
their values
 To help students both to think and to feel about
their feelings, values and behaviours
 To develop their own views and make judgements
after considering different viewpoints
Try-out Lesson (Minimum Wage)
Choice of activities :
 Forum (Role Play: multiple
perspectives)
- RTHK program 城市論壇
- Articles and Newspapers
- Forum
Choice of activities :
 Discussion
- RTHK Program
- Articles and Newspapers
- Discussion
- Presentation
- Letter to the editors
(Eng. Dept.)
Choice of activities :
 Discussion
- Articles and Newspapers
- Discussion
- Presentation
- Question and Answer
Choice of activities :
 Assignment
- 2005-06 Budget
- collect different viewpoints
Try-out Lesson
Design of teaching materials :
 Worksheets
 Newspapers
 Publications
 Video clips
… …
Try-out Lesson
1.Preparation
2.Implementation
3.Evaluation
Try-out Lesson
Implementation work :
Students’ work
Video
Try-out Lesson
1.Preparation
2.Implementation
3.Evaluation
Try-out Lesson
Evaluation :
 Know more about the issue of minimum
wage
 Pros and cons of minimum wage
 After the lesson, I am keen to know more
about different standpoints of people
 I can understand that everything has its
pros and cons
 Can learn the economic issue from
different points of views from presentation
Students like most …
Evaluation :
 Students are more active
 Lessons become more interactive, all students can
have a greater chance to participate during lessons
 Can agree or disagree others
 The interaction between teachers and students (also
among classmates)
 Can learn in funny way
 Activity is interesting, making me more active and
think more in the lessons
Evaluation :
Improvements …
More time for discussion
Better control of time
Evaluation:
Role of teachers:
Facilitators
Information providers/guiding role
Challenger – stimulation, giving inputs,
enriching the discussion
Evaluation:
Role of teachers:
 Procedural Neutrality in which the teacher adopts



the role of an impartial chairperson of a discussion
group.
A Balanced Approach in which the teacher
presents pupils with a wide range of alternative views.
Stated Commitment in which the teacher always
makes known his/her views during discussion.The
Devil’s Advocate in which the teacher consciously
takes up the opposite position to the one expressed
by pupils or in teaching materials.
Difficulties
Encountered
Difficulties encountered
1. Language :




MOI
Language used for group discussion
Language of reading materials
Provision of language support
(Vocabularies, bridging activities)
Difficulties encountered
2. Time constraint :
 More preparation time for both teachers &
students is required
 More teaching time is consumed
Difficulties encountered
3. Individual differences :
 High achievers (quick thinker, active,
motivated easily, etc.)
 too “slow”
 Low achievers (passive, shame, reluctant to
share, etc.)
 too “fast”
Possible Solutions (??) :
Finish pre-lesson tasks
Let low achievers be better prepared for the
lesson
Grouping
Difficulties encountered
4. Copy right :
 News articles (www.hkcla.org.hk)
 TV program
Conclusion
Change of teaching & learning mode
Values &
Attitude
Generic skills
Skills
Subject skills
Knowledge
Choice
Reminder:
 Initiation of learning experience by means of
stimulus resources materials related to the questions,
problems and issues
 The active involvement of pupils in the activities
aimed at exploring and analyzing the values positions
implicit in a given issue
 The intention that students be assisted to clarify and
develop their own attitudes and values
 Active encouragement to students to see the link
between their attitudes and values and the actions they
take in their own lives
 The importance of providing the opportunity to
develop skills of values inquiry, which can be
transferred and used in their own personal lives
Group
Discussion
Teaching Values in
Economics through the
issue of Hunghompeninsula (紅灣半島)
Teaching Values in Economics through Issue
Preparation work : (Lesson Design Sheet)
1. Choice of issue
2. Data collection
3. Objectives (Knowledge, skills, values, etc.)
4. Choice of activities
5. Design of teaching materials
Presentation
Thank you