Macao Middle School Teaching Methods Reform

Macao's education system has been improving after the return from Portugal to China. The typical characteristic of Macao's schools is multiform. Multiform educating is suitable for the developing of schools and the difference among teenagers. Students have the superiority to choose universities which located in different places. However, school, regarded by most adults as a happy place of learning for teenagers, becomes a place of horror for students due to the "fierce competitions, terrible examinations and unfriendly environment". More and more students find that they dislike schools, even hate them. The format of traditional classroom teaching is listening and memorizing. However, the most important of teaching is to instruct students how to think and do, not just to memorize. The traditional classroom teaching must find a way out. Otherwise, it will be abandoned by students and society.There are four chapters in this thesis. In the first chapter, it points out the education history and the most striking education problems in Macao. Nowadays, the aim of teaching is only for mental development, not moral, physical or emotional development.... What people care is the marks in students schools' reports. Students learn passively, listening to teachers, writing down notes, reciting books, copying the "knowledge" from their books to test paper. That is what they do every day. Can you imagine how they will be in the future? The "examine-orientation" causes serious education problems. The second chapter analyses the curriculums, textbooks and classroom teachings' methods in Macao. The third chapter is about the theory of curriculums and teaching methods. Vertical and horizontal organizations must be considered in setting the curriculums and textbooks. Curriculums should cover every subjects. They must be suitable for students' experience and development of society. Teaching methods include not only teaching but also educating students. The fourth chapter is the suggested solutions of teaching in middle schools: 1. Teaching for creativity. 2. Thesubtle relationship between teachers and students. 3. The reform of evaluation system. 4. The improvement of teachers' quality. Excellent students are from excellent teachers. In short, we, teachers, must try our best to face the new challenge of education.