Identity education in Hong Kong: Perceptions of civic and history educators

Abstract

This is a narrative self study of the professional experience of a teacher educator on identity education in Hong Kong. In the process of promoting a set of teaching strategies to teacher educators, in-service and pre-service teachers of history and civic education, he was able to explore their perceptions on identity education for youngsters in Hong Kong after her political handover in 1997. It was found that while even educators felt ambivalent about their identities as Hong Kong Chinese, the directions and approaches for identity education also became controversial in the educational field in Hong Kong. This inquiry has demonstrated, with global significance, both the complexity of the issue of identity and the challenges of promoting identity education on a politically shifting landscape.