Nature of Science as portrayed in the Physics official curricula and textbooks in Hong Kong and on the mainland of the People’s Republic of China

Abstract

Developing students’ understanding of the nature of science (NOS) became one of the curriculum aims in both Hong Kong and on the mainland of the People’s Republic of China (hereafter referred to as mainland China) at the beginning of the twenty-first century. In this study, we examine both the official curricula and the key textbooks in both places. Differences between mainland China and Hong Kong regarding the inclusion of NOS ideas in the official curricula are noted. There are also significant differences in terms of the inclusion and the focus of the NOS ideas in the textbooks. It is evident that the (overt and covert) messages in the official curricula could (and sometimes fail to) influence the corresponding textbooks. Further investigation will be conducted to identify the factors that affect the official curriculum-textbook alignment.