Reading Instruction through Curriculum Reform in Hong Kong: An Evaluation of its Impact and the Escalation of PIRLS Reading Attainment

Abstract

In Hong Kong, the government has been keen on nurturing students’ reading abilities since curriculum reform in 2000. This study intends to review how the Chinese Language curriculum (esp. reading instruction) has undergone reform and development since 2000, and its connections with the escalation of students’ PIRLS reading attainment. To interpret the impact of policy change and curriculum reform, students’ reading attainment in different cycles of PIRLS, and how such improvement in performance is attributed to the change of reading instruction, will be explored. Statistical analysis will be utilized to investigate factors in teacher and school policy domains that correlate with students’ reading attainment. Results of the study will explain the relationship between reading instruction and the escalation of reading attainments of students, which will inspire the discussion of the influence of curriculum reform in Hong Kong during the past two decades. Keywords: Reading policy, policy outcome, curriculum reform, PIRLS reading attainment, reading instruction