Analyzing Curriculum Orientations of Kindergarten Curriculum

Abstract

This chapter critically reviews the official document Kindergarten Education Curriculum Guide (2017) in Hong Kong by using the concept of five curriculum orientations as an analytical tool. The five curriculum orientations are academic; cognitive process; social reconstruction; humanistic; and technological. The analysis covers the curriculum framework, curriculum planning, learning and teaching, and assessment. The study is reported here in two parts. The first part provides the conceptualization of major curriculum orientations to kindergarten education. The second part reviews the curriculum guide for Hong Kong kindergarten education by referring to the key characteristics of curriculum orientations. The findings reveal that social reconstruction and cognitive process orientations are two main components identified in the current kindergarten curricula. With an increased focus on children's well-being, a humanistic orientation is also evident in the curricula, as seen in the emphasis on providing each child with intrinsically rewarding experiences that contribute to their whole-person development. The study affirms the importance of curriculum orientations in formulating teachers' practices of curriculum design and corresponding curriculum decisions. The practical significances and policy implication are discussed.