Understanding civic education in Hong Kong: a Bernsteinian approach

Abstract

This paper draws on Basil Bernstein's theory of pedagogic discourse and practice to explain the controversy surrounding civic education in Hong Kong, through the case of a compulsory secondary school subject called Liberal Studies (LS). The distinct advantage of a Bernsteinian approach is that its conceptual grammar cogently captures the contentious nature of LS and locates the structural autonomy of teachers. This article highlights the fragmented nature of the LS curriculum, which attests to a historical legacy of the Hong Kong education system that favours a subject-based curriculum in practice and a managerialist approach to teacher staffing. These institutional parameters exert profound influences on LS teachers' modalities of practice. This study contributes to the burgeoning interest in applying Bernsteinian scholarship to the East-Asian region by nuancing the role of teachers in mediating the contentious LS curriculum and implementing civic education. Finally, further implications of the Bernsteinian approach will be discussed.

Preparing of Future Specialists for Civic Education of Preschool Children

“…Gusacov (2018) notes that the upbringing of patriotism, it is love and fidelity of Motherland, it can be an educational solution for restoration and cohesion, as well as for building social solidarity between groups of Israel citizens and within them. Of interest is the use of the theory of pedagogical discourse and practice of Basil Bernstein to explain the contradictions associated with civic education in Hong Kong (Yan, 2020). Goloborodko et al (2018) determine that the formation of patriotic and civic qualities is an integral segment of professional training in the segment of media education.…”