Workshop: Challenges and Strategies in SSI Education: A Mainland China

Challenges and Strategies in SSI Education: A Mainland China Perspective
 

Professor Jing Lin
Collaborative Innovative Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality
Beijing Normal University
 

January 28, 2026 (Wednesday)
12:15 – 14:15
Room 411-412, Meng Wah Complex, HKU
Chair: Professor Jessica Leung
 

Abstract:
This interactive presentation addresses the pedagogical challenges and potential strategies for implementing Socioscientific Issues (SSI) education in school systems. Using the engaging and complex case of land reclamation, participants will engage in a simulated decision-making activity. This minds-on experience is designed to imitate the intricate process of navigating real-world issues, where scientific evidence, ethical considerations, economic interests, and social values often collide.

Through this participatory exercise, attendees will directly grapple with the core difficulties faced in the SSI classroom. This serves as a concrete foundation for understanding the systemic challenges encountered in Mainland China's primary and secondary schools, as identified through a six-year, school-based research and collaboration project (the SSI-L Project).

The session will then transition to a synthesis of these challenges, such as curriculum integration, teacher readiness, and assessment dilemmas, and share viable strategies that have been developed and trialed in Mainland Chinese contexts. The ultimate aim is to foster a collaborative dialogue, offering insights and practical approaches for Hong Kong's educational researchers and practitioners to reflect upon, discuss, and adapt within their own unique educational landscape.

~ All are welcome ~