Advancing education: MIT team evaluates HKDSE curriculum’s impact on students in HK and GBA
Dr Zhang Qiaoping from MIT, fourth from right, leads his project team to meet Principal Zou, fourth from left, and her school management team at GTIIT-Affiliated International School on 5 March.
Dr Zhang Qiaoping, Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology (MIT), is leading his team to undertake a University Grants Council (UGC)-funded project to evaluate the learning quality of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) curriculum and its impact on secondary students’ academic performance and interest in STEM careers in both Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (GBA). In March, the team met with the school principal, and the management team of the prestigious Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) Affiliated International School to exchange views and strengthen research collaboration on the project.
MIT’s project, titled “Assessing the HKDSE Curriculum's Effect on Secondary Students' Academic Performance and STEM Career Interest in the GBA: A Big Data Approach to Teaching Quality Monitoring”, is a three-year longitudinal study running from July 2024 to June 2027. Funded by the University Grants Council, the project uses the Teaching Quality Monitoring System (TQMS) to examine and compare the learning and teaching quality of the HKDSE curriculum for secondary school students studying in Hong Kong Children Schools in Guangdong and those attending local schools in the city. Additionally, the project will assess how the HKDSE curriculum impacts students’ academic performance and their interest in STEM-related careers in the GBA.
Dr Zhang highlighted that, to date, there has been no systematic analysis or cross-regional comparison of the educational quality of the HKDSE curriculum for schools implementing it in Hong Kong and Guangdong. “The ongoing project aims to address this gap. By using subject-specific assessments and data-driven analysis, the project seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching the HKDSE curriculum,” Dr Zhang, the project’s principal investigator, said.
“By using big-data analysis of information collected from participating schools, the project will provide schools with scientific evidence to optimise teaching strategies and resource allocation. Furthermore, the project aims to foster collaboration between schools in Hong Kong and Guangdong, encouraging the sharing of educational experiences and resources to promote regional educational integration and collaborative innovation in the GBA,” he added.
Principal Zou of the GTIIT-Affiliated School and Dr Zhang Qiaoping from MIT exchange souvenirs.
During a meeting with Dr Zhang on 5 March, Principal Zou of the GTIIT-Affiliated School expressed strong support for MIT’s research project and agreed to participate. She also highlighted a particular interest in the project’s investigation into students’ STEM career interests. “This survey would greatly benefit students by providing insights into their potential in STEM fields and offering valuable guidance for academic and career planning,” the principal said.
Through three rounds of STEM career interest assessments and academic feedback conducted by the project, the school hopes to help students uncover their potential in STEM subjects while offering personalised support for their university applications and career choices, including pursuing STEM-related undergraduate programmes in Hong Kong or overseas. During the meeting, both Dr Zhang’s team and the teaching and research team at the GTIIT-Affiliated School expressed enthusiasm for future collaboration.
Following the meeting, Principal Zou gave Dr Zhang’s team a tour of the school. The school is well-equipped with facilities such as a baking room, sports hall, laboratories, and STEM activity rooms, and it adopts small-class teaching with English as the medium of instruction. Dr Zhang’s team and the high school’s teaching and research team at the GTIIT-Affiliated School look forward to future collaboration in advancing foundational education in the GBA. Through this collaboration, the two parties also aim to promote students’ interest in STEM careers and career planning, and to support the professional development of educators.
In 2015, UN member states agreed on 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Dr Zhang’s project contributes to the goals of Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3) and Quality Education (SDG 4).
