The History boys

1. The History boys Group 5 Jennifer Mo Ryan Lee Katrina Tsang Phoebe Yung Carson Poon Ryan Wong Smith Tsang

2. PLOT • In the early 1980s • Cutlers' Grammar School, Sheffield • A group of history pupils preparing for the Oxbridge entrance examinations • Under the guidance of three teachers (Hector, Irwin and Lintott) with different teaching styles

3. Do all students in the school experience the same curriculum? NO. Is what taught aimed at the interests or needs of academically inclined students who will go to on to higher education and elite roles? YES

4. AIMS OF EDUCATION The headmaster: To cope with exams and get into famous universities like oxford and cambridge Hector: To inspire students in different aspects Get rid of the constraints of the education system

5. Recap… • Idealism (Plato)Idea Vs. Ideals • Realism (Aristotle)We live in a world of objects, personal& phenomenon that are external to us •  Pragmatism (John Dewey)Ideas are instruments • Postmodernism (Derrida)Challenge the canon

6. Headmaster • Decision marker of this Grammar School • Very keen to see the 8 boys to enter Oxbridge • Strategic • Seek for perfection

7. Movie Time 

8. Short summary • Teaching/supervision practices - Advocates General Studies and PE lessons • A renaissance man-Hires Irwin To help preparing the boys for the Oxbridge entrance examinations.

9. Discussion Time • What philosophical perspectives does the Headmaster possess? • What is your rationale behind??

10. Idealism

11. IRWIN Subject matter?  Both official& unofficial history  Visiting historical sites Classroom practices?  Student-oriented  Process-oriented

12. IRWIN Respect students’ background?  Without any disrespectful attitudes towards different races Opinions about education?  Analysis  Discovery

13. Movie Time 

14. Discussion Time • What philosophical perspectives does Irwin possess? • What is your rationale behind??

15. IRWIN Philosophical position: • Postmodernism  Challenge& deconstruct the canon  Give equal opportunity to all students

16. IRWIN 2. Pragmatism  Teach out of classroom (ie. Out of the boundary).  Allow students to discuss freely among themselves

17. Hector

18. Introduction to Hector • General studies • Compound adjectives • Poetry • Lesson is hardly organized • Can easily be distracted by students • Insists way of teaching

19. Student’s perspective • enjoys acting • no use for examination • human round • accept Hector is a strange person

20. Movie Time 

21. Discussion Time • What philosophical perspectives does Hector possess? • What is your rationale behind??

22. Idealist • Hector’s idea on knowledge • Specific • Accumulated by people • Behavior of people • Accept the knowledge • Need not to understand at once • “Pass it on”

23. Postmodernist • Challenge the canon of school rules • Beat his students • Challenge social norm • Question his students for attending Oxford / Cambridge • Touching students’ genital area

24. Not Pragmatist • Hector’s view • knowledge is long lasting

25. Mrs. Lintott

26. Introduction to Mrs. Lintott • School history teacher • An excellent teacher • Traditional teaching methods to teach history • Not only for their examination - can improve and increase their mind of history • Write lots of essay to build up the knowledge

27. Use concise and orderly statement to express the content of the subject(history) • Facts! Facts! Facts! • Talk to Rudge • Fact…fact…fact … • Want the students to share their problem and give the nickname to her • (Irwin , Hector)

28. Discussion Time • What philosophical perspectives does Mrs. Lincott possess? • What is your rationale behind??

29. Movie Time 

30. Realism • Require their students to know and remember the fact of the history and use the fact for their history’s essay • Should have the evidence to answer the question(FACT) • The students should make the decision to choose which facts is suitable for the essay

31. Pragmatism • requires the students fully remember the facts and know how to answer the question and write the essay. It is connect for the situation(exam) • she hope her students can have the good future and ask them what they do now. It expresses she think the education can connect to the society( in the end of the film)

32. How can we apply the movie to Hong Kong context? • The students in the movie and the HK students are both examination-oriented. • They both aim at getting high marks in exam and therefore put the emphasis on memorizing all the facts instead of developing their own thinking. • As a result, students fail to develop analytical skills and critical thinking ability.

33. Have we made any attempts to solve this problem? • In fact, the introduction of Liberal Studies is aimed at solving this problem. • As there isn’t a fixed syllabus, teachers can act as a guide to help students explore different issues instead of forcing students to memorize the facts. • Students can truly develop their own individual thinking.

34. Conclusion • (i) What is the theme/message of this film – what are we being asked to accept?  • (ii) Do we accept/reject the views? • Timms: I don't always understand poetry!Hector: You don't always understand it? Timms, I never understand it. But learn it now, know it now and you will understand it... whenever. 

35. Education is about inspiring. • It is the quality of teaching that matters, but not the quantity. • As prospective teachers, we should bear in …….

36. Thank you