An Action Research On Developing A School-based Curriculum In High School: "Plants' Category And Appreciation"

School-based curriculum is an important component in the third curriculum level system of our country. It is a complimentary and extension of the country's fundamental curriculums, and a format of granting the rights to local, school and teachers from the nation. The development of school-based curriculum is to set school as a base, under the administration of the school. This curriculum is featured in building a community of curriculum developing, which is not only composed of school dean and teachers, but also curriculum specialists, community people, and parents those who are outside of schools. By designing a democratic and open curriculum, it will become dynamic and keeping pace with the times, in line with the requirements of students' studying and teachers' career developing. Therefore, school-based curriculum is tailored to the times. However, there is few success in systematically developing school-based curriculum, especially in biology school-based curriculum based on the researching of literature.This paper focused on systematically designing a biology school-based curriculum for high school; Plants' Category and Appreciation. The development of school-based curriculum includes many steps, such as analysis of study demands, setup of curriculum objectives, options of curriculum contents, design of teaching and evaluation. The school-based curriculum, Plants' Category and Appreciation, would be developed when conditions permitting. It was based on the evaluation of developing conditions on both the in and out of school resources in Huadong Model High School by using SWOT present evaluation analysis method. This curriculum would be carried out by giving out questionnaires of studying demands analysis to the first grade students of the high school who taking the course. Therefore, it is possible to receive their studying demanding information from perspectives of study contents, teaching style, evaluation method, and etc. With the information, the Plants'Category and Appreciation school-based curriculum would be positioned as an expanding and activity optional course. Its major objective would be established, as well as three sub-objectives from aspects of knowledge and skill, process and method, emotional attitude and values. According the course objective, the contents would be carefully chosen and categorized into academic knowledge, interesting activities and experimental research while developing educational materials. During the implementation phase of school-based curriculum, many advanced teaching methods would be applied, such as conversation teaching, experiment, discovery, team work study, and etc. After taking this course, the students' study results would be examined by an evaluation system, which is composed by file evaluation, examination, self-evaluation and evaluation among students, and evaluation from parents.This experiment was to open a school-based curriculum, Plants' Category and appreciation, for first grade student in high school. It was Huadong Model High School of Shanghai as the experiment base. There were 21 students that had chosen this course According to the arrangement of Plants' Category and Appreciation school-based curriculum, the first time practice was carried out, and the students' study result was examined by file evaluation, examination, self-evaluation and evaluation among students, and evaluation from parents.There was an evaluation after the first time practice of Plants' Category and Appreciation school-based curriculum. Conclusions:1. there was significant improvement among students in the learning levels, discovering and solving problem abilities, so this practice was effective; 2. the curriculum objective design was scientifically suitable. The level of the material contents was at average; 3. the evaluation method was objective and likable by students; 4. this curriculum was very practical. After the first course practice, it brought up the following problems:1. the objective was low; 2. the contents of the materials were simple; 3. the participation of students in curriculum development was not in high level. The second practice was carried out after the adjustment of the objectives and contents, and searching effective ways of motivating students to participate in the curriculum development.This research mainly contributed in systematically opening a school-based curriculum, On the one hand, Plants'Category and Appreciation school-based curriculum became a part of 'two generals'(general knowledge and general ability) school-based curriculum system in Huadong Model High School; on the other hand, this systematically developed school-based curriculum, as an example for other first level teachers, provides an important reference for developing school-based curriculum in the future. In addition, students and parents were one of the major party in developing school-based curriculum. The way of their participation was investigated, resulting in practical protocols.