Understanding and Attitudes towards Moral and Civic Education among Primary School Teachers in Hong Kong

Abstract

Moral and Civic Education (MCE) was highlighted in the 2000 curricular reform proposals in Hong Kong. This paper attempts to investigate primary school teachers’ understanding and attitudes towards MCE in Hong Kong. It aims to understand whether and how the proposed curriculum of MCE is practiced in the school. Six teachers from a primary school were interviewed and the curriculum documents of the school were analyzed. The findings indicated that all of the interviewees lacked comprehensive understanding of MCE but they generally had high degree of concern towards the implementation of moral and civic development in the school. They were also receptive towards new ideas and teaching approaches in MCE. Further analysis showed that school-based curriculum and teachers’ perceptions were the contradictory factors affecting teachers’ implementation of MCE.