The Implementation Of Media Education In Hong Kong's Secondary Curriculum: Reasons, Means, And Impact

Abstract

The strength of the influence of today’s media is well documented. In 1995 Kellner stated that a “media culture has emerged in which images, sounds, and spectacles help produce the fabric of everyday life, dominating leisure time, shaping political views and social behaviour”. A decade later, there are more types of information and entertainment, many more interactive modes for consuming mass media’s message, and a more interconnected global village than ever before. Studies show that many students spend much of their time watching, listening, and interacting with media. The situation is similar in Hong Kong. In view of this, the call for the inclusion of media education in the school curriculum is opportune. Such curricula have been adopted successfully in countries such as Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. With the proposal of curriculum reforms in year 2000, which emphasized “key learning areas” instead of traditional subjects, new curricular spaces are opening up for media education. A 2004 study noted that many schools claime to have already adopted media education in lessons. It is worth studying the reasons why these schools have decided to do so, how they have implemented media education, and the impact that media education has on students, especially in terms of the nine generic skills emphasized in the recent curriculum reform.