Bachelor of Education (Honours) (Geography)

Study Mode
Full-time
Normal Period of Study
5 Years
JUPAS Code
JS8428
EdUHK Programme Code
A5B084
Enquiry (Admissions)
(852) 2948 6886
admission@eduhk.hk
Enquiry (Programme)
Dr Pei Qing
(852) 2948 8538
qingpei@eduhk.hk

Ms Jane Lee
(852) 2948 7707
jclee@eduhk.hk

Programme Aims

The programme aims at training pre-service teachers who will be able to teach Geography curriculum in the secondary schools.

On successful completion of the programme, students will be able to:

  • demonstrate a solid understanding and command of geographical concepts and theories and apply the knowledge to solve geographical problems in the local, regional and global contexts with complex human-physical interface;
  • develop learning capability to be a competent and effective learner and teacher in a dynamic and an ever-changing society;
  • apply critical thinking to analyse the geographical and environmental issues that address the relationship among land, nature and people in the physical and human environments;
  • demonstrate the pedagogical literacy and competency required for the development and implementation of curriculum in secondary schools; and
  • develop essential abilities to plan, execute, report on field work and geographical research with the skills of data analysis, Geographic Information System, remote sensing and field studies.

Programme Structure

Note: Classes will be held in Tai Po Campus and Tseung Kwan O Study Centre / Kowloon Tong Satellite Study Centre / Sports Centre as decided by the University.
Domain Credit Points (cps)
Major (including an Interdisciplinary Course) 39
Education Studies
  • Education Studies Core (Generic)
  • Pedagogy for Major
30
General Education 22
Final Year Project (Honours Project / Capstone Project) 6
Minor (Liberal Studies) 15
Electives (including Free Electives, Second Minor or Second Major) 15
Field Experience 20
Language Enhancement 9
Total: 156

Major

The Geography Major is aligned with the existing geography curriculum of secondary education, which integrates the robust pedagogical training into the solid geographical content. The Major equips students with essential skills in geography teaching, such as Geographic Information System (GIS) and field work, which will enhance graduates’ ability in guiding field trips and applying the GIS in their teaching career. Major courses cover both physical and human geography topics that allow students to have a balanced geographical knowledge for teaching geography in senior and junior forms at secondary schools effectively.

#Pedagogy for Major course under Education Studies
Physical Geography Courses Human and Cultural Geography Courses Environmental Geography Courses Geographical Skills and Application of Pedagogy Courses
Foundation of Physical Geography Understanding Cultural and Human Geography Global Environmental Issues Spatial Data Analysis and GIS
Natural Hazards Globalizing China: The People and Development Conservation and Management of Natural Resources Field Methods and Teaching in Geography #
Geomorphology and Hydrology Transnational Migration and Development in Global Cities Climate Change and Global Warming Pedagogy in Geographical Education #
Economic Geography Tourism and Sustainability
Urbanization and Transportation: Theory and Policy

Education Studies

Education Studies gives students the chance to study teaching and learning from an interdisciplinary perspective. Students will study early childhood/school education from psychological, sociological, philosophical, pedagogical and other perspectives. Students will develop a range of skills necessary for professional practice, such as problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, communication, social interaction, ethical decision making and global perspectives. Education Studies helps students appreciate the importance of professional excellence, ethical responsibility and innovation to the role of a teacher. We aim for our graduates to become beginning teachers who are caring and competent, intellectually enthusiastic, socially committed, and globally aware.

General Education

The EdUHK’s General Education programme prepares students to be active agents of change, by broadening their intellectual horizons, helping them make connections among different areas of knowledge and between their formal studies and life outside the classroom, and strengthening their capacity for sound thinking and good judgement. It offers a varied but balanced mix of individual courses across a range of subject areas and disciplines, set within an integrated structure of (i) General Education Foundation Course, (ii) Experiential Learning, (iii) General Education Breadth Courses, and (iv) University ePortfolio with a total of 22 credit points (cps).

  1. General Education Foundation Course (4 cps)
  2. General Education Foundation Course (GEFC) is a 4-cp course that will run for the whole academic year and be taken by all first-year students at EdUHK. This course will equip students for their intellectual development in the university context by introducing a skill-based development/thematic component in Semester 1 of Year 1. In Semester 2, students will be introduced to a wide variety of themes and topics in general education by taking part in the lectures delivered by Chair Professors/Professors and external Guest Lecturers. These lectures are substantiated by small class tutorials for the purpose of building communities of dialogue and inquiry that foster the intellectual growth of students as reflective thinkers deliberating issues of importance to their own lives, society and the world as a whole.

  3. Experiential Learning (6 cps)
  4. Experiential Learning (EL) consists of Co-curricular and Service Learning Course (CSLC) and Experiential Learning Course (ELC). CSLC provides students with an opportunity to engage in learning in action and through action in real-life or work-place context while complementing, connecting with, and mirroring their learning experiences derived from formal curriculum. On the other hand, ELC encourages students to learn through experimentation, observation, reflection and (re-) conceptualization while undertaking a wide variety of activities, such as creative work, student-initiated enterprise/projects, thematic overseas trips, outward-bound training, etc.

    Students are required to take at least one CSLC and one ELC starting from Year 1 (3 cps each). Courses in Experiential Learning domain can be taken in parallel with Block Practice (BP) I and II (i.e. Field Experience and Experiential Learning Semesters). If that is the case, students need to ensure the course schedule does not clash with BP (students should check the information listed under the course outline and explore the feasibility with course tutors at the beginning of the semester). Students are encouraged to complete courses in EL domain before semester 1 of final year as they will be engaged in BP II and data collection/field work of Final Year Project in this Semester. Careful academic planning on personal basis is needed.

  5. General Education Breadth Courses (9 cps)
  6. Under the new curriculum (from 2019/20 onwards), the General Education Breadth Courses (GEBCs) (9 cps) are composed of General Education Breadth Learning Strands (1-3) (GELS) (Level 1-2), Positive and Values Education (PAVE) Course and General Education Interdisciplinary Course (GEIC) (Level 4). Students have to take one from each of the components in order to fulfill the GEBCs (9 cps) requirement.

    These courses aim to equip students better for the study of the ontological, epistemological and/or methodological issues in a wide variety of disciplines. In addition, a new 3-cp GEIC (Level 4) will be offered on cross-faculty basis for students from Year 2 Semester 2 to Year 3 Semester 1, in order to enable them to appreciate the complexity of issues and problems that transcend disciplinary boundaries and to make sense of them through dialogues across disciplines.

    Students are allowed to take GELS and/or PAVE Course(s) after the completion of GEFC or concurrently with GEFC in Year 1 Semester 2 if they are interested and their curriculum schedules allow. After the completion of any GELS/PAVE Course, students are allowed to take the GEIC from Year 2 Semester 2 to Year 3 Semester 1.

  7. University ePortfolio (3 cps)
  8. University ePortfolio is a 3-cp “capstone” course which requires students, when they are approaching the end of their undergraduate studies, to reflect critically on their learning experience within General Education in their disciplinary, professional and co-curricular studies, as well as in their lives beyond graduation, and, to develop an integrated view of how and where they position themselves with respect to their future goals, plans, and aspirations. Students will prepare and submit an annotated University ePortfolio based on their experiences, reflections and stored artefacts from their undergraduate studies. Students are encouraged to keep electronic (soft) copies of all their coursework material starting with the completion of the GEFC for potential inclusion in the University ePortfolio.

    The course will enable students to synthesise their learning experiences, by reflecting critically on the value and significance of what they have learned, making connections to their lives, and imagining their own futures.

    Students are allowed to take the University ePortfolio course after completion of all the GEBCs required (i.e. GELS, PAVE, GEIC). Also, they have to take the course in the semester of study assigned by individual programmes.

    For detailed information and the course synopsis about General Education courses, please visit the website at www.eduhk.hk/geo.

Final Year Project (Honours Project / Capstone Project)

The Final Year Project comprises of two courses:

  • Honours Project I / Capstone Project I: Research Methods and Proposal
  • Honours Project II / Capstone Project II: A one-year project usually to be conducted in the final year.

Minor

Students are required to take a compulsory Minor in “Liberal Studies” which will equip students with essential knowledge on various social issues. Students may also choose an optional Minor in “Resources Management” or another Second Minor, by using the credit points available in the Electives domain.

Electives

On top of the compulsory Liberal Studies Minor, students can choose either one of the following options:

  1. Free electives
  2. Second Minor
  3. Second Major*

*Students opting for a Second Major will need to take at least additional 15 cps to fulfill the required credit points for Second Major.

Field Experience

Students will be placed in schools which are important sites for learning to teach and where they will interpret, generate, interact and experiment with theory:

Block Practice will be conducted in local schools which the medium of instruction may vary depending on the policy of the schools. Students should be able to demonstrate a proficient level of Cantonese / English / Putonghua (for Chinese Language teaching in some schools) to conduct Block Practice.

Important Note: The University will ask students of our full-time teacher education programmes (e.g. Bachelor of Education programmes) to declare whether they have been convicted of or are being prosecuted for any sex-related offence in Hong Kong or elsewhere, and to provide relevant details prior to undertaking teaching practice. Such information may be released to their placement schools. The University reserves the right not to allow these students to attend the block teaching practice. If so, they won't be able to meet the graduation requirements of the programmes.
1 Year 2 semester I & semester II Attend an introduction (FE Foundation Course with 3 cps) to the teaching profession. Students will be guided and supported by a professional tutor to understand the roles and expectations of a teacher and build one’s own identity and mission, whilst adapting to the changing role from a student to a teacher.
2 Year 3 semester II Conduct Block Practice I in schools (5 cps) for 8 weeks, accompanied by the taught course of FE and Professional Learning Portfolio I (2 cps) in small-group tutorials that support students’ active engagement in the Field Experience and help them connect theory and practice. Through group and individual guidance, students will produce an e-portfolio which is a collection of evidence of their learning to support reflection and professional growth.
3 Year 5 semester I Conduct Block Practice II in schools (7 cps) for 8 weeks, accompanied by the taught course of FE and Professional Learning Portfolio II (3 cps) in small-group tutorials and individual guidance that enhance students’ understanding of the schools and the role of a teacher as a caring cultivator, an inspirational co-constructor and a committed role model for students. They will further develop their e-portfolio for more in-depth reflection and records of their professional development.

Language Enhancement

From September 2012/13, FT BEd non-language-major students will be required to meet Language Exit Requirements (LERs) for English and Putonghua. The exit benchmarks are IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) for English, and PSC (Putonghua Shuiping Ceshi) 3B for Putonghua. Students are required to study a comprehensive package of English, Chinese and Putonghua enhancement courses.

English Enhancement Programme (EEP) consists of two credit-bearing courses in Year 1/2. These courses will equip students with academic literacy essential to their study at tertiary level and help them develop general English language proficiency. They will also lay the foundation for students to learn English independently in subsequent years through participation in self-access learning activities, blended learning, and optional language enhancement courses appropriate to their level and developmental needs. In addition, students will be required to study two mandatory non-credit-bearing courses. Optional IELTS preparation workshops will also be offered to familiarize students with the EdUHK-sponsored IELTS after they have completed the EEP.

Students are also required to study three Chinese enhancement courses, and up to two Putonghua enhancement courses depending on their level.

Chinese Enhancement Programme (CEP) consists of one mandatory credit-bearing course and two mandatory non-credit-bearing courses, which provide students with the input on Chinese language skills as well as elements of literature and culture.

Students may be exempted from selected Chinese course in the package if they have fulfilled the exemption criteria of individual courses.

Putonghua Enhancement Programme (PEP) Students have to take up to two mandatory, non-credit-bearing courses depending on their Putonghua levels at entry via the Tertiary Putonghua Test (TPT), and could opt for other non-credit-bearing Putonghua enhancement courses after Year 1.

Students may be exempted from selected Putonghua courses in the package if they have fulfilled the exemption criteria of individual courses.

Cantonese Enhancement Courses (For non-Cantonese-speaking Chinese students) Non-Cantonese-speaking Chinese students will be required to study two non-credit-bearing Cantonese courses. The successful completion of the Cantonese courses will be recorded in the student's transcript.

For Chinese (including Putonghua) and English, language consultation services and other self-access materials are provided at ASLLC, the self-access language learning centre (these arrangements are subject to changes).

Career Prospects/Professional Qualifications

In-depth academic and professional knowledge confer graduates of the programme with excellent career prospects. They will possess a Qualified Teacher Status in Hong Kong and are ready to become fully qualified teachers in local secondary schools. In addition to the professional teaching career, graduates will possess the academic knowledge and intellectual skills to embark on a wide variety of other relevant jobs in the government sector, green non-government organizations, commercial organizations, environmental consultancies, etc.