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| Project Details |
| Funding Scheme : | General Research Fund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Number : | 14619920 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Title(English) : | Religious Education Curricula in Hong Kong Schools: A Comparative Study across Religious Bodies and Time | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Title(Chinese) : | 香港學校的宗教教育課程：跨宗教團體與跨時的比較研究 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Principal Investigator(English) : | Prof Tse, Thomas Kwan-choi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Principal Investigator(Chinese) : | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Department : | Dept of Educational Administration & Policy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Institution : | The Chinese University of Hong Kong | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| E-mail Address : | kctse@cuhk.edu.hk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tel : | 39436927 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Co - Investigator(s) : |
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| Panel : | Humanities, Social Sciences | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subject Area : | Education | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Exercise Year : | 2020 / 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fund Approved : | 629,484 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Status : | Completed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Completion Date : | 15-10-2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project Objectives : |
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| Abstract as per original application (English/Chinese): |
This project will study the unique situation of the Hong Kong education system, which has different religious education courses being offered by a wide variety of religious bodies. The Hong Kong government acknowledges religious diversity, and it supports religious freedom and religious tolerance. Both religious and non-religious schools enjoy public funding while remaining relatively autonomous. Faith schools operate on a considerable scale with little governmental intervention with respect to religious education. These faith schools usually implement a compulsory sectarian religious education curriculum with a strong spiritual and moral dimension. However, there is considerable ambiguity surrounding the status, content and function of religious education. Arguably, religious education needs to be updated and reformed to keep abreast of social change and to address a number of social and pedagogical issues. It is important to consider how religious education curricula have changed over time and how curricular development takes into account the socio-cultural context and young people’s experiences.
This 28-month project will explore the special role of religion education curricula in Hong Kong’s multi-religious society, a topic that is vital but that has remained unexplored. Relatively few scholars have attempted to address religious education other than Christianity and Islam. Taking into account the religious diversity within this unique education system and different religious bodies taking different approaches to religious education, a historical and intra-system comparative study can contribute to a broader and deeper understanding of the nature of religious education. By using a mixed research method with data collected through the documentation of teaching materials, and by conducting interviews with the authors and representatives of religious bodies, we will examine the curriculum development of four major religious bodies over time, with a special emphasis on the curricular components of aims/objectives, content, pedagogy and evaluation. We will also study the causes and factors behind changes in both religious education as a school subject and the production of learning and teaching materials.
This project will have significant implications for understanding the relationship between religion and education – that is, the specific place and role of religious education accorded by different religious bodies in a highly secular and culturally diverse society. The findings of this study will allow us to understand the features of different religious education curricula. Insight into developing teaching and learning materials and practices that are conducive to fostering desirable values in adolescents will be shared with curriculum designers and practitioners.
此項目將研究香港教育體系的獨特情況：它由各種各樣的宗教團體提供不同的宗教教育課程。香港政府承認宗教多元化，並對宗教採自由和寬容政策。宗教學校和非宗教學校都獲公共資助，同時保持相對自主。宗教學校中的宗教教育規模龐大，幾乎沒受政府干預。這些宗教學校通常實行帶強制性的宗派的和富有強烈的靈性和道德色彩的宗教教育課程。但圍繞宗教教育的地位、內容和功能的理解仍有很大的分歧。宗教教育當然需要更新和改革以保持和社會與時俱進，並解決許多社會和教學問題。宗教教育課程如何隨著時間變化，以及課程發展如何考慮社會文化背景和年輕人的經驗乃是亟需考慮的要事。 這個為期28個月的研究項目將探討宗教教育課程在香港這多元宗教社會的獨特角色。這個課題雖然很重要，但至今仍未充分開發。相對而言，很少學者嘗試探討基督教和伊斯蘭教以外的宗教教育。考慮到香港這獨特教育體系當中的宗教多樣性和不同宗教團體採取不同的方法處理宗教教育，採取歷史和系統內部的比較研究可有助對宗教教育的性質有更廣泛和更深入的了解。使用混合研究法，包括收集教材文獻，以及與宗教團體的作者和代表訪談，我們將研究四個主要宗教團體隨著時間推移下的課程發展情況，特別強調課程的四大組成部分：目的/目標、內容、教學法與評估。我們還會研究宗教教育作為學校課程和學習與教學材料變化背後的成因和元素。 這項目將對理解宗教與教育間的關係具有重要意義，即在高度世俗化和多元文化的情況下不同宗教團體提供的宗教教育的特別角色和作用。研究結果將使我們能夠理解不同宗教教育課程的特徵；也可與課程設計者和從業者共享開發教材經驗，有助於在青少年中培育理想價值觀。 |
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| Realisation of objectives: | The primary purpose of this project is to explore the unique role of religious education curricula in Hong Kong's multi-religious society, characterized by its rich religious diversity. We examine formal curriculum materials, including syllabi, teacher's manuals, textbooks, and workbooks related to religious education at the primary and junior secondary levels, employing both intra-system and historical comparisons. Together, the collected data provide a comprehensive overview of the trends in religious education in Hong Kong over the past fifty years. The project has gathered or generated the following data: a) A wide range of original primary materials since the 1960s, including major versions of textbooks and learning materials for religious education, such as: Catholic Diocese -《幸福的道路》(The Road of Well-being, 1973-74, 1981, 1996-98), and《踏上星光途》（Stepping on the Way under the Starlight, 2011-14）. The Anglican Church -《完美的人生》小學基督教教育課程 (Ideal Life - Christian Education for Primary Schools, 1981, 2006, 2019), 《同創新天地》中學宗教教育課程（Co-creation of a New Horizon–Series of Secondary Religious Education Textbook, 1993-1994）, and《聖經伴我行》 (A Journey with the Bible - Christian Religious Education for Secondary Schools, 2007-2008). Hong Kong Taoist Association - 《道教知識》(Knowledge of Taoism, 1986), and《校本課程發展: 道化教育》(Living Taoist Education (Junior Secondary) School-Based Curriculum, 2013). Hong Kong Buddhist Association - 《小學佛學課本》(Primary School Buddhism Textbooks, 1963), 《正覺大道》(The Grandway of Bodi, 2004), 《正覺的道路(緣起生命教育高小佛學輔助教材)》 (The Road to Enlightenment for Life Education based on the Concept of Dependent Origination (Senior Primary), 2010), 《初中佛學課本》(Secondary School Buddhism Textbooks, 1961), 《初中佛學課本》(Secondary School Buddhism Textbooks, 1989-1991), and 《正覺的道路:初中佛化德育及價值教育科教材》 (The Road to Enlightenment: Junior Secondary Buddhicised Moral and Values Education Curricular Materials, 2016-2019). The Confucian Academy of Hong Kong - 《香港小學儒家德育課程》(Confucian moral education curriculum for Hong Kong primary schools, 2004), and 《香港中學儒家德育與公民教育課程》(Confucian moral and civic education curriculum for Hong Kong secondary schools, 2006). b) Relevant reports from newspapers and websites, as well as available reports on major funding schemes. We performed a documentary analysis of the curricular materials, focusing on aims and objectives, content scope and topics, pedagogy, and evaluation methods. The materials were classified and coded using simple statistics across different dimensions of religious education. c) In-depth interviews with 32 informants involved in curriculum and textbook development provided insights into their experiences with curriculum planning and the production of educational materials. These interviews were transcribed for record-keeping and data analysis. The author has participated in three recognized international conferences where papers related to this research were presented. A book chapter outlining the status quo of religious education in Hong Kong was published in 2022, and a paper on Buddhism was published online in April 2024. Additional manuscripts are prepared for submission. These findings are crucial for expanding our understanding of the relationship between religion and education, particularly regarding issues of religious literacy and cultural diversity in non-Western societies. The study also sheds light on the religious education practices of Eastern religions, such as Buddhism and Taoism. List of manuscripts: Tse, T. K.C. (2024). Development of a primary school religious education curriculum: The Hong Kong Anglican Church since the 1970s. Tse, T.K.C. (2024). Reshaping the Confucian tradition in a school curriculum in Hong Kong. Tse, T.K.C. (2024). Representing a Catholic school identity in primary school textbooks: A historical account of Hong Kong since 1973. Tse, T.K.C. (2024). Teaching Buddhism amidst changes: sixty years of the evolution of Buddhist Studies in Hong Kong. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Summary of objectives addressed: |
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| Research Outcome | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Major findings and research outcome: | Religious education in Hong Kong’s public schools is notable for its prevalence, plurality, and vibrancy, fulfilling a vital role in moral and values education. The religious dimension fosters values that contribute to character development, morality, and citizenship. Faith schools leverage religious resources from their sponsoring bodies to uphold their specific traditions and core identities. However, changes in the social context — such as social issues, demographic shifts, and church-state relations — along with current education reforms and shortcomings in religious education practices, have led to shifts in the aims, content, and pedagogical approaches of religious education. Many religious education programs have undergone reforms to incorporate new elements into curriculum planning, learning content, and pedagogical strategies. In developing the religious education curriculum, we consider the biographies of participants in the compilation process, the organizational structure, available resources, objectives, autonomy, and the networks of religious bodies. The dynamics among these groups and between the state and civil society are also significant, as the state exercises direct influence through educational reforms. Since 2000, large-scale education reforms promoting student-centered learning have impacted religious education, emphasizing the development of specific values and generic skills, such as critical thinking and problem-solving. Faith schools must also align with the state’s goals for nation-building. The influence of religious studies movements, along with evolving theories of religious education, is noteworthy. Major religions, including Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, have re-examined their traditions in the school curriculum, offering modern interpretations to address contemporary issues while highlighting their contributions to Chinese traditional cultures and wisdom. Common to these new initiatives in religious education programs is the blending of religious and non-religious elements in teaching and learning, integrating contemporary themes with traditional practices. Adjustments to pedagogical aims, content, and assessment methods are also significant. Teaching designs aim to inspire students through thought-provoking and diverse activities, such as games, case studies, group discussions, and experiential learning. Short stories and relevant scenarios are employed to encourage critical thinking and evaluation. Students are expected to engage in sharing experiences, reflecting on their learning, and applying it to their daily lives. Nevertheless, the ‘one school, one religion’ model remains the prevailing paradigm in Hong Kong’s faith schools. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Potential for further development of the research and the proposed course of action: |
Building on the findings mentioned above, future studies can examine the teaching and learning practices of religious education in various faith schools through general surveys and in-depth case studies. Practical suggestions include: 1. Encouraging liaison activities among religious bodies to exchange and promote best practices in religious education. 2. Recognizing the need to improve understanding of religions beyond one’s own, emphasizing the importance of inter-religious education. While the ‘one school, one religion’ model persists, it may not adequately address the realities of cultural and religious plurality. Notably, there are shifts toward multi-religious and interreligious models within the Catholic religious education curriculum, warranting specific investigation. 3. Further deliberation is needed regarding the appropriate roles of religious education, especially considering the evolving state-church relationship in recent years. The government’s role in guiding values education will significantly influence the directions and objectives of religious education. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Layman's Summary of Completion Report: | This project highlights the vital role of religious education provided by different religious bodies in a highly secular and culturally diverse society like Hong Kong. Faith schools have long contributed significantly to values education. Over the years, the scope and topics of religious education have evolved, with curricula reflecting unique religious traditions while adapting to modern societal needs and pedagogical effectiveness. The project fosters mutual understanding among religious bodies regarding religious education and multiculturalism. The findings will help curriculum designers and practitioners understand the distinctive features of various religious education curricula, providing insights for developing materials and practices that promote proper values in adolescents. For additional details, please refer to articles in the Ming Pao column on September 17 and 24, 2024. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Research Output | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peer-reviewed journal publication(s) arising directly from this research project : (* denotes the corresponding author) |
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| Recognized international conference(s) in which paper(s) related to this research project was/were delivered : |
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| Other impact (e.g. award of patents or prizes, collaboration with other research institutions, technology transfer, etc.): |
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| SCREEN ID: SCRRM00542 |