Collaborative Research and Development ("Seed") Projects

• Rationales and Purposes

Curriculum development is an ongoing process to continuously enhance the effectiveness of learning and teaching. Collaborative Research and Development ("Seed") Projects, initiated in 2001, aim to provide schools and teachers with the support which enables them to put relevant theories and principles with regard to the curriculum reform into practice, and also provide practical experiences and reference for refining the curriculum. The purposes of the "Seed" Projects are as follows:

1. (a) To provide useful knowledge, experiences and viable recommendations as reference for schools, teachers and the community;
   
   
2. (b) To develop teachers as curriculum change agents and curriculum leaders, who constantly reflect on and improve in their teaching so as to strengthen the synergy to promote the curriculum reform; and
   
   
3. (c) To provide impetus for school-based curriculum development.

• Focuses

In line with the curriculum reform, the Curriculum Development Institute (CDI) has implemented a series of "Seed" Projects in schools since the 2001/02 school year. The focuses of the projects are as follows:

• Curriculum planning, learning and teaching strategies in different Key Learning Areas;
• Development of generic skills in an integrative approach through learning activities;
• Assessment literacy (assessment of/for/as learning to improve learning and teaching);
• Four key tasks (moral and civic education, reading to learn, project learning and information technology for interactive learning); and
• Other areas (e.g. catering for learner diversity, STEM education, e-learning, information literacy, life-wide learning and experiential learning, reading/language across the curriculum, values education, self-directed learning, curriculum interfaces, etc.).

• Mode of Collaboration

Each "Seed" Project comprises two major components, namely development and collaborative research. For the development component, the Education Bureau and schools join hands to plan the curriculum and develop necessary resources and strategies so that the teaching practices can be more aligned with the focuses of curriculum development. For the collaborative research component, it is mainly about collecting data of the processes of the curriculum reform as well as the evidence on the impacts on student learning in order to provide reference for refining the curriculum.

Schools, based on their school contexts and needs, can work closely together with the CDI and expert consultants through participating in "Seed" Projects. The CDI will disseminate the invaluable experiences gained and outcomes to the public via effective channels (e.g. seminars, workshops and professional development programmes). Such experiences will also be developed into exemplars, learning and teaching materials, reports, etc. for other teachers’ reference. In the process of participating in the projects, schools find their effectiveness and teachers’ professional capacities being enhanced. School heads and teachers become not only curriculum leaders and instructors, but also life-long learners. Furthermore, cross-fertilisation of ideas among frontline educators, curriculum developers and other experts in the education field also facilitates the building up of a professional community which sustainably enhances curriculum development to strive for excellence.

During the implementation of "Seed" Projects, individual teachers may be seconded to the CDI and supply teachers will be provided for the schools concerned so that the seconded teachers can be relieved to assist in developing innovative learning and teaching strategies.

• "Seed" Projects for 2024/2025 School Year 
   
• "Seed" Projects for 2023/2024 School Year
• "Seed" Projects for 2022/2023 School Year  
• "Seed" Projects for 2021/2022 School Year 
• "Seed" Projects for 2020/2021 School Year
• Strategies for Teacher Secondment