Constituting the modern self through numbers: tracking the development of school mathematics instruction in Hong Kong
在國際評鑑計劃中,東亞地區學生的數理能力往往較西方國家為佳。現有學術文獻已就這個現象作深入探討,並提出東亞學生的文化特徵和模型。然而,鮮有研究以縱向的歷史角度,討論東亞教育制度下對於「學習者」的文化概念如何因應全球化的影響而演變。本文嘗試以香港的數學教育為研究個案,探討本地數學課程在教學重心及組織上的轉變。研究發現,該學科在教學上的轉變緣於現代個人主義的制度化過程 ── 社會整體愈益視學習者作為充權和自省的行動者。本研究致用縱向文本分析的研究方法,綜析四十二本於戰後出版的香港高小數學教科書的教學內容。研究結果顯示,歷年來課本及課程的教學愈加著重參與式教學、興趣啟發以及與扣連學生生活等概念。另外,政府官員、老師、本地壓力團體及學術專家等亦援用「以學生為本」的話語,推動課程改革。綜合而言,本研究認為世界政體理論相比歷史主義式的理論視野更有力地解釋數學課程內容的轉變。 ; East Asian learners usually outperform their Western counterparts in international mathematics assessment programs. Although the cultural traits of East Asian learners are well documented and analyzed, the cultural dynamics of the changing conception of "learner" in East Asia, especially under the influence of globalization, is under-explored. Taking Hong Kong as a case study, this paper explores the changes within the emphasis of instruction and organization of local mathematics curriculum across time. I contend that the shift of instruction within the school subject is due to the institutionalization of modern individualism, the process in which the conception of "learner as an empowered and self-reflexive actor becomes culturally legitimate in the society. I employ a longitudinal content analysis to track the changes of the instructional emphasis within 42 senior primary mathematics textbooks published in Hong Kong since World War II. It is revealed that despite the unique cultural and historical trajectory of educational development in Hong Kong, the curriculum embraces the ideas of participatory pedagogical approach, interest stimulation, and social relevance to students. Furthermore, it is found that governmental officials, teachers, local pressure groups and academic professionals draw scripts and models from the discourse of student centrism to drive curricular reforms. Results suggest that world polity theory is more applicable than the historicist perspective in accounting for the changes of the curriculum content. ; Detailed summary in vernacular field only. ; Yip, Chun Ting Patrick. ; Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese ...