An Exploration of the Relationships between Teaching Approaches and Cognitive Demand of the Physics Curriculum at the Sixth Form Level in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT

This paper seeks to examine teaching approaches practised in the sixth form (grade 12) physics classrooms in Hong Kong. Relationships of these teaching approaches with the cognitive demand of the physics curriculum are sought. The intent of this paper is to explicate a 4‐cluster typology of physics classroom practices in terms of students’ learning experiences provided by the physics curriculum. This typology is found to be characterised by one dominant and two supplementary teaching approaches, as well as by the differential instructional effectiveness as measured by the physics achievement tests amongst the four clusters of classrooms each of a distinctive teacher style.