From A-Level to international baccalaureate diploma program: A qualitative study of curriculum change in a Hong Kong school

In this thesis I have given a qualitative account of how teachers in an international school in Hong Kong experienced and responded to a mandatory change in curriculum from the British A- Level to the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBD) Program. Early in the thesis I describe Hong Kong as an interstitial place in a particular socio-political timeframe, and compare the A-Level and IBD approaches to curriculum and pedagogy. The changes in the year of transition from A-Level to the IBD are explored in detail, focusing on the lived experience of the participants as they prepared for the implementation of the new curriculum and its corresponding pedagogy. Through the methodology of ethnography I interviewed six participants and observed their behaviour throughout the transition year to build a descriptive picture and gain an understanding of how they responded to the changes. My research revealed that the imposition of a mandatory curriculum was a complex process, and the participants’ lack of voice and feelings of disempowerment were critical features in shaping their acceptance of, and resistance to, the proposed changes. The research findings underline the importance of taking teachers’ perspectives into account and involving teachers in the planning and decision making for school-wide educational change