Group work in science learning - international scenarios and implications for teaching and learning in Hong Kong

Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 2, Issue 2, Article 9 (Dec., 2001)
Teresa T S WONG
Group work in science learning - international scenarios and implications for teaching and learning in Hong Kong

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Background
From October 15, 2001 to November 4, 2001, the Schools Around the World (SAW) Project conducted an International On-line Collaboration Discussion Seminar for all SAW participants. SAW is a professional development project designed by the Council for Basic Education (CBE), an educational interest group based in Washington that advocates high academic performance for all students. It includes nine participating nations/regions which are the United States, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Portugal, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom and the Hong Kong SAR. The program grew out of the need to understand what constitutes "world class" standards and work by giving science and mathematics teachers* in each of the participating nations/regions the opportunity to examine and reflect upon their teaching practice through the analysis of student work.
During this 3-week on-line seminar, SAW teachers and facilitators from six out of the nine participating nations/regions, including the United States, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Portugal and the Hong Kong SAR, had the opportunity to exchange their professional knowledge and teaching experiences on group work practice, as well as to disseminate good science teaching and learning strategies in this area. The facilitators were scholars and educational researchers from the participating nations/regions. They served to stimulate and coordinate the discussion sessions among the SAW teachers, and then disclosed the amalgamated response to the on-line forum. Facilitators were necessary because many teachers from non-English speaking countries felt uncomfortable of expressing their ideas in English in an open forum. Since all participants are educational practitioners, they have done the sharing based on the context of their own science teaching. The author, who was one of the facilitators of Hong Kong, summarized the content from the on-line discussion with theory support whenever appropriate. It is a hope that teachers may enrich their own professional development by making reference to these worldwide experiences, in order to support their own teaching practices in group-work learning.
* Science teachers started their participation in the project since 1999 and mathematics teachers were included in 2000.