A Comparative Study of Teacher Learning Through STEM Innovation in Hong Kong and Shanghai

Abstract

Like many other places around the world, the municipal government in Hong Kong and Shanghai promote K-12 STEM education without prescribing specific curriculum standards. This study examines how teacher learning proceeds under such circumstances for STEM implementation, and how such learning is influenced by contextual factors. Using thematic analysis informed by the interconnected model of professional growth, this study shows that teachers learn through curriculum innovation, and that such learning is sensitive to the policy, social and material contexts. The findings suggest (1) the viability of a different change model for curriculum innovation in which teacher learning is self-generative, and (2) some potential shortcomings in teacher learning that may arise without clear curriculum framework and support.