Examining critical spaces within the Hong Kong Chinese history curriculum framework

Abstract

This thesis examines how the State’s hegemonic power shapes education and constructs Chinese national identity in the subject ‘Chinese History’ that is taught in Hong Kong secondary schools, particularly after the 2019 Anti-Extradition Law movement. The research aims to understand how the Hong Kong government transmits the State ideologies and narratives from policies to the Chinese History curricula and textbooks, and to evaluate the critical spaces available for teachers to engage in critical pedagogy. By employing a critical paradigm informed by Gramsci and Althusser on hegemony and power, as well as Freire and Giroux on critical pedagogy, and utilising Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis as the methodological approach, this study analysed the Hong Kong policy addresses from 2011/12 to 2022, the Chinese History curricula, and three Chinese History textbooks to examine how dominant ideologies are constructed and transmitted through the education system. The analysis reveals that the State-approved Chinese national identity is characterised by four key elements: (1) cultivating national consciousness, (2) developing emotional attachment to the nation, (3) expecting contributions to national betterment, and (4)respecting national symbols. The curricula and Chinese History textbooks align closely with the policynarrative to reinforce the ideology and emphasise conformity. While developing students’ critical thinking is also one of the objectives of the subject ‘Chinese History,’ the broader sociopolitical environment, State policies and education policies appear to shift the focus toward fostering a unified understanding of national identity. This has created tensions for teachers to fulfil the expectations to transmit the State narrative while engaging in critical dialogues. This thesis argues that the broader State’s hegemonic influence has instrumentalised the teaching of Chinese History as an ideological apparatus, aiming to reconfigure teachers as state agents and restrict the spaces available for cultivating critical consciousness. Despite the narrowing of critical spaces, the study highlights the potential for resistance through the philosophical foundations of critical pedagogy and Paulo Freire’s pedagogy of hope. By positioning themselves as transformative intellectuals, teachers can reclaim their agency and empower students to develop critical consciousness and cultivate students’ capacity to interrogate dominant narratives, disrupt hegemonic ideologies, and critically engage with the construction of national identity. This multifaceted analysis offers timely insights into how government policies can systematically penetrate the education sector to reinforce ideological conformity, sustain political dominance, and marginalise dissent—a dynamic that reflects broader global patterns of ideological control and state influence.