Abstract
Science teaching is an important part of schooling in Macau, yet it has long been neglected by international education researchers. This chapter attempts to analyze the following issues concerning science teaching and learning in this special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China: school-based science curriculum, science textbooks and their uses, science teaching methods, science learning environments, and students’ attitudes to science and school science. The data used in this chapter were drawn from an evaluation project of science education in primary and secondary schools in Macau. In the last part of this chapter, the features of science teaching and learning in this region are identified and discussions conducted on whether these features are beneficial for the purpose of achieving scientific literacy.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
AAAS. (1989). Science for all Americans: A project 2061 report on goals in science, mathematics, and technology. Washington, DC: Author.
Bray, M., & Koo, R. (2004). Education and society in Hong Kong and Macau: Comparative perspectives on continuity and change (2nd ed.). Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong.
Bybee, R. W. (1997). Achieving scientific literacy: From purposes to practices. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Cheung, K., & Sit, P. (2007). Macau PISA 2006 study report (number one): Assessment of scientific, mathematical and reading literacy performance of 15-year-old students from an international comparison perspective. Macau: University of Macau.
Education and Youth Bureau (EYB). (2007). A demand for science education evaluation in primary and secondary school (internally circulated documents) (in Chinese).
Education and Youth Bureau (EYB). (2009). Establishing excellence of education and improving all-round development (internally circulated documents) (in Chinese).
Fraser, B. J. (1998). Science learning environments: Assessment, effects and determinants. In B. J. Fraser & K. J. Tobin (Eds.), International handbook of science education (pp. 527–564). Germany: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Guo, C. J. (2007). Issues in science learning: An international perspective. In S. K. Abell & N. G. Lederman (Eds.), Handbook of research on science education (pp. 227–256). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Gwinmbi, M. E., & Monk, M. (2003). Study of classroom practice and classroom contexts amongst senior high school biology teachers in Harare, Zimbabwe. Science Education, 87, 207–223.
Henderson, D., Fisher, D. L., & Fraser, B. J. (2000). Interpersonal behavior, laboratory learning environments, and student outcomes in senior biology classes. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37, 26–43.
Ho, D. Y. F. (1991). Cognitive Socialization in Confucian Heritage Cultures. Paper presented at the Workshop on Continuities and Discontinuities in the Cognitive Socialization of Minority Children, US Department of Health and Human Services, Washington D.C., June 29–July 2.
Huang, T. (1998). A study of science classroom learning environments in Taiwan and western Australia: A qualitative and quantitative approach. Chinese Journal of Science Education, 6(4), 343–462. (in Chinese).
Laugksch, R. C. (2000). Scientific literacy: A conceptual overview. Science Education, 84, 71–94.
Lavonen, J., & Laaksonen, S. (2009). Context of teaching and learning school science in Finland: Reflections on PISA 2006 results. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 46, 922–944.
Lee, P. L. (2007). The transition and tendency of Macau high school leavers retuning to the Mainland China for their further study. Education in Macau, 212, 25–29. (in Chinese).
Leung, F. K. S. (2001). In search of an East Asian identity in mathematics education. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 47, 35–51.
Lo, J. (2004). Curriculum reform. In M. Bray & R. Koo (Eds.), Education and society in Hong Kong and Macau: Comparative perspectives on continuity and change (pp. 161–174). Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong.
Miller, R. (2006). Twenty first century science: Insights from the design and implementation of a scientific literacy approach in school science. International Journal of Science Education, 28, 1499–1521.
National Research Council (NRC). (1996). National science education standards. Washington, DC: Author.
Newton, P., Driver, R., & Osborne, J. (1999). The place of argumentation in the pedagogy of school science. International Journal of Science Education, 21, 553–576.
OECD. (2007). PISA 2006 science competencies for tomorrow’s world Volume 1: Analysis. Paris: OECD.
Potts, P. (2003). Modernizing education in Britain and China: Comparative perspectives on excellence and social inclusion. London: Roulege Falmer.
Su, Y., & Huang, T. (1999). The relationship between laboratory climate and students’ attitudes toward science. Chinese Journal of Science Education, 7(4), 393–410. (in Chinese).
Taylor, P. C., Fraser, B. J., & Fisher, D. L. (1997). Monitoring constructivist classroom learning environments. International Journal of Educational Research, 27, 293–302.
Tytler, R. (2003). A window for a purpose: Developing a framework for describing effective science teaching and learning. Research in Science Education, 30, 273–298.
Wei, B., Shieh, J. J., Sze, T. M., Chan, I. N., Yuen, P. K., & Lee, M. Y. (2009). The report of the evaluation on science education in primary and secondary schools in Macau. Macau: University of Macau.
Wu, W. C. (2009). An investigation on secondary school science teachers’ belief and practice in Macau (Master degree thesis, University of Macau) (in Chinese).
Zhu, W. (1992). Confucius and traditional Chinese education: An assessment. In R. Hayhoe (Ed.), Education and modernization (pp. 3–22). NY: Pergamon Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Wei, B. (2016). School Science Teaching and Learning in Macau: Problems and Challenges. In: Chiu, MH. (eds) Science Education Research and Practice in Asia. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0847-4_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0847-4_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-0845-0
Online ISBN: 978-981-10-0847-4
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)