QSIP: A Whole School Approach to Implementing Self-Directed Learning as a Strategy to Cater for Learner Diversity (2014 – 2017)

The Quality School Improvement Project: A Whole School Approach to Implementing Self-Directed Learning as a Strategy to Cater for Learner Diversity (QSIP-SDL) is an extension of the Quality School Improvement Project (QSIP). It adopts a comprehensive, interactive and organic approach under QSIP’s values and support modes to assist schools to cater for students’ learning diversity. Officially launched in 2014, the project began to provide professional support progressively to 80 local primary and secondary schools over the course of three years.

‘Self-directed learning’ (SDL) can be understood as objectives of achieving ‘effective learning’, ‘catering for learner diversity’, making students like to learn and be able to learn. And a set of so-called “SDL pedagogy” doesn't exist.  One of the strategies to cater for learner diversity is the SDL promotion among students and the encouragement of passionate learning cultures.

 

Support features

In this project, we concentrate on SDL promotion on a whole-school basis, which we follow SDL principle and help schools to empower learning efficiency for students comprehensively. We also pick out and design focused strategies (such as for particular subject/form/class) for the comprehensive development based on teachers’ ideas on SDL and their consensus.

 

Support Target and Duration

The current project is a voluntary and collaborative partnership scheme with sufficient flexibility. It aims at serving higher primary school and junior secondary school students. Each participating school will receive support for 1 year.

 

Project support modes

As schools have different visions and missions, team culture, teaching philosophies, teachers’ power, students' level of attainment and learning characteristics, we would cater each school as an individual case and outline the improvement pathways through conducting interviews and class observations. We work hand-in-hand with the core task forces from our subject schools and set up initiatives to provide support of different modes and degrees in accordance with different needs and development strategies.

Inspired by the core values in QSIP, the team provides macro support ('Big wheel') and micro support ('Small wheel') in this project. 'Big wheel' generates to clarify stakeholders’ conceptual misunderstandings on ‘self-directed learning’ and 'catering for learner diversity' to reach a consensus within the campus for further developments. And 'Small wheel', on the other hand, operates to choose focused initiatives for schools according to the needs and development preferences. The objectives are to help schools to initiate or improve curriculum, to encourage ‘self-directed learning’ on the teaching level, to experiment different approaches in catering for learning diversity and to enhance teaching and leadership competence.

Our project upholds the flexibility and the complimentary coordination among the 'macro' and 'micro' supports and we look forward to seer greater effects with sustainability from our various measures. As mentioned previously, the support of our project is comprehensive, interactive and organic. There are various forms of support, including school-based assistance (e.g. professional workshops for teachers, joint preparation for lessons, class observations and evaluations, and school-based strategic planning) as well as cross-schools exchange network (e.g. cross-schools learning circles, joint-schools staff development day).

 Mode of Support

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strategies for Promoting Self-directed Learning

Thanks to the support of local schools, the 3-year-long project QSIP-SDL has been completed fruitfully with the aims of promoting self-directed learning through partnering with 80 primary and secondary schools. The experiences gained would provide good references to schools and teachers. To pay them forward and sustain the impacts of the project, worked examples have been uploaded to our webpage (Chinese only).

 

List of Participating Schools(2016-2017)
Primary School Secondary School
  • Sam Shui Natives Association Huen King Wing School
  • Alliance Primary School, Tai Hang Tung
  • Tai Kok Tsui Catholic Primary School (Hoi Fan Road)
  • CCC Chuen Yuen First Primary School
  • CCC Kei Wa Primary School
  • Pentecostal Yu Leung Fat Primary School
  • North Point Government Primary School
  • Queen Elizabeth School Old Students’ Association Branch Primary School
  • Lam Tsuen Public Wong Fook Luen Memorial School
  • Northern Lamma School
  • The Salvation Army Ann Wyllie Memorial School
  • Shamshuipo Kaifong Welfare Association Primary School
  • Precious Blood Primary School (Wah Fu Estate)
  • Shun Tak Fraternal Association Wu Mien Tuen Primary School
  • Alliance Primary School, Whampoa
  • SKH Fung Kei Millennium Primary School
  • SKH Wei Lun Primary School
  • Fung Kai No.1 Primary School
  • Lok Sin Tong Lau Tak Primary School
  • Po Yan Oblate Primary School
  • PHC Wing Kwong College
  • Yan Chai Hospital Wong Wha San Secondary School
  • PAOC Ka Chi Secondary School
  • Queen Elizabeth School Old Students’ Association Secondary School
  • Buddhist Tai Kwong Chi Hong College
  • Caritas Fanling Chan Chun Ha Secondary School
  • TWGHs C Y Ma Memorial College
  • TWGHs Lo Kon Ting Memorial College
  • PLK Ho Yuk Ching (1984) College
  • PLK Lo Kit Sing (1983) College
  • Carmel Secondary School
  • Tsuen Wan Government Secondary School
  • Semple Memorial Secondary School
  • POH 80th Anniversary Tang Ying Hei College
  • St Stephen’s Girls’ College
  • Ju Ching Chu Secondary School (Tuen Mun)
  • Lui Cheung Kwong Lutheran College
  • Kit Sam Lam Bing Yim Secondary School
  • Po Kok Secondary School
  • Ling Liang Church M H Lau Secondary School

 

List of Participating Schools(2015-2016)
Primary School Secondary School
  • CNEC Lui Ming Choi Primary School
  • Pentecostal Gin Mao Sheng Primary School
  • Yan Chai Hospital Choi Hin To Primary School
  • Tin Shui Wai Methodist Primary School
  • Li Cheng Uk Government Primary School
  • Asbury Methodist Primary School
  • PLK Castar Primary School
  • SRBCEPSA Ho Sau Ki School
  • CUHK FAA Thomas Cheung School
  • SAHK Ko Fook Iu Memorial School
  • Hong Kong and Kowloon Kaifong Women’s Association Sun Fong Chung Primary School
  • Shun Tak Fraternal Association Wu Mien Tuen Primary School
  • Salesian School
  • SKH Tsing Yi Estate Ho Chak Wan Primary School
  • St. Bonaventure Catholic Primary School
  • Farm Road Government Primary School
  • CCC Kei Chi Secondary School
  • True Light Girls’ College
  • Stewards MKMCF Ma Ko Pan Memorial College
  • POH Chan Kai Memorial College

 

List of Participating Schools(2014-2015)
Primary School Secondary School
  • Tai Po Old Market Public School
  • Jordan Valley St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary
  • Buddhist Chi King Primary School
  • Buddhist Wing Yan School
  • Sau Ming Primary School
  • TWGHs Chow Yin Sum Primary School
  • TWGHs Hong Kong and Kowloon Electrical Appliances Merchants Association Limited School
  • TWGHs Hak Shan School
  • PLK Riverain Primary School
  • PLK Chong Kee Ting Primary School
  • Baptist (STW) Lui Ming Choi Primary School
  • The Salvation Army Lam Butt Chung Memorial School
  • Shun Tak Fraternal Association Lee Kam Primary School
  • SKH Kei Yan Primary School
  • GCEPSA Whampoa Primary School
  • Queen Elizabeth School
  • TWGHs Chen Zao Men College
  • Cumberland Presbyterian Church Yao Dao Secondary School
  • South Tuen Mun Government Secondary School
  • Canossa College