The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the feedback given by Primary Five English Language teachers during reading comprehension lessons in Singapore. Teachers’ feedback practice during reading comprehension lessons is important because studies show that critical reading skills can be promoted during these lessons especially when feedback is given at the process level. Promoting students’ critical reading skills enables them to be discerning readers which is one of the curricular outcomes in the English Language Teaching and Learning Syllabus (Primary). However, studies show that English Language teachers at the primary level do not give much feedback at the process level.

The study looked at the effectiveness of feedback provided by four Primary Five English Language teachers during reading comprehension lessons. Specifically, it explored the types of feedback the teachers gave, students’ immediate responses to the feedback received and the factors that influenced the teachers’ formative feedback practices. A single case study approach was used in this study that involved four Primary Five English Language teachers. Data collection involved the use of semi-structured interviews, lesson observations and focus group discussions. Data was analysed using a coding protocol and thematic analysis using Hattie and Timperley's (2007) Model of Feedback as the conceptual framework of study.

Findings from the study point to a gap between the intention of the feedback given and actual classroom practice. The teachers also lacked clarity regarding how to give effective formative feedback and this had implications on both students’ learning and teachers’ classroom practice. The study suggests looking more closely at feedback literacy, discipline specific feedback, a more focussed approach to teacher professional development where feedback is concerned and encouraging student participation in feedback dialogue.

English is one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world. In Singapore, English is also the main language of business. Bourdieu (1986) introduced the concept of cultural capital and the three forms that it may take: the embodied state, the objectified state, and the institutionalised state. Specifically, according to Bourdieu, the institutionalised state refers to how the bearer of an academic qualification or professional certificate receives a value-add to his or her cultural capital. As such, does attaining a higher educational qualification in Singapore, which is conducted in the English language, necessarily equate to better cultural capital? Also, if English is the main language of business in Singapore, does a lower grade in the Singapore General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (GCE O-Level) English examination limit job prospects? Using Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital as its conceptual framework, this research paper seeks to explore the views of three young Singaporeans on how English language proficiency affects their job prospects in Singapore.

This study employs a case study method to examine the experiences of young adults, who were born and raised in Singapore, in learning English at home and through the local education system, as well as their perspectives of how their English proficiency impacts their jobs. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 3 young Singaporeans between the ages of 21 to 30, who have varying English grades at the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) and / or GCE O-Level English examination level and education levels no higher than at pre-University level (i.e. a Singapore General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A-Level) certificate, polytechnic diploma or Institute of Technical Education (ITE) certificate).

Findings showed that while the English language is perceived to be important for interpersonal communication, a good grasp of technical knowledge relevant to the industry is perhaps more important for job opportunities and for the workforce in Singapore. However, at the same time, the research conducted for this paper found that for some jobs, the attainment of specific educational qualifications or a certain benchmark grade is required, and this supports Bourdieu’s concept that institutionalised cultural capital is achieved through educational qualifications. Overall, this study will contribute to research perspectives on the role of English language on socioeconomic status and advancement, impact policymaking within the Singapore education system, as well as add to conversations on upskilling in a globalised, technological world.

The implementation of interdisciplinary curriculum in schools is often adversely affected by inadequate teacher professional development. One way of addressing this issue is to have teachers engage in collaborative design of interdisciplinary curriculum. Collaborative groups of teachers who are focused on the (re)design of curriculum materials are known as teacher design teams (TDTs). While there is substantial literature describing the professional learning opportunities for teachers who engage in collaborative curriculum design, the examination of such opportunities for teachers collaborating on the design of interdisciplinary curriculum is relatively limited. Therefore, this study seeks to address this gap by examining the learning potential of interdisciplinary teacher design teams.

The interdisciplinary focus chosen for the TDTs is to teach students to critically read science-based articles in the news. In a researcher-initiated intervention carried out in three secondary schools in Singapore, an English teacher and a science teacher from each school formed a TDT to plan and teach an interdisciplinary lesson that engages students in the critical reading of science-based news. Lesson plans and teaching resources were collaboratively created by the TDTs, and the lessons were carried out within or outside curriculum time. The researcher took on the role of the facilitator in each of the teams.

As working across disciplines necessarily entails the negotiation of differences between disciplines, boundary crossing was adopted as the theoretical approach to examine teacher learning. With each TDT considered a case, a qualitative case study approach was used to analyse teacher learning from the perspective of the boundaries that they encountered during their collaboration in the TDTs. As the teachers negotiated the boundaries encountered, their attempts at sense-making would give rise to learning opportunities. This process of teacher learning is understood and described using four distinct learning mechanisms of boundary crossing – identification, coordination, reflection and transformation. For each case study, qualitative content analysis of teacher reflection logs, meeting transcripts and interviews identified the types of boundaries and the learning mechanisms that individual teachers went through.

It was found that the teachers in the TDTs encountered boundaries caused by epistemological differences between subjects, differences in curricular practices of English and science in the classroom, contrasts in collaborative styles and in their expectations of students. The identification, reflection and coordination mechanisms were evident in all three TDTs, and the transformation mechanism was evident in two of the three TDTs. Cross-case analysis revealed that the key boundary objects that facilitated boundary crossing of the teachers were the news articles, the model and framework for critical reading of science-based news, and the lesson plan created by the teachers. Implications of these findings on the practice of designing interdisciplinary collaboration as a source of teacher professional development are discussed.

This quantitative time series study investigates Psychological Resilience as a dynamic construct within the context of service-fit enlistees undergoing Basic Military Training (BMT). Participants were service-fit enlistees from Basic Military School V, totalling 168 individuals with a mean age of 20.46 years. Central to this study is the formulation of the Dynamic Resilience Scale Index (DRSI), based on the core mechanism of resilience. The DRSI addresses fundamental cognitive abilities and emotional processes, proving to be an effective tool for quickly assessing an individual's current resilience by reflecting their situational appraisal and natural emotional responses.

In academia, the concept of resilience is converging toward a widely accepted definition across the fields of psychology, shifting from adaptation to the ability to withstand or recover from stressors. This evolution simplifies the theoretical construct and highlights two main adaptation trajectories: assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation involves cognitively accepting a situation and harnessing positive mental resources to benefit from it, whereas accommodation involves coping with the situation as it is, potentially with less mental capacity to seek out opportunities. Both trajectories indicate resilience by enabling individuals to withstand or recover from disturbances.

The DRSI, incorporating cognitive appraisal and emotional reactivity, was formulated and validated using the Primary Appraisal and Secondary Appraisal (PASA) and Perth Emotional Reactivity (PER) scales. Both scales were analysed for reliability and validity through internal consistency tests and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).

Repeated Measures ANOVA (RMA) was conducted to analyse the change in resilience throughout the training duration. Significant increases in DRSI were observed from T₁ to T₂, levelling off from T₂ to T₃, possibly due to habitualisation and the completion of knowledge and skill tests by T₃. Hierarchical Multiple Regression and Pearson Correlation were conducted to determine the association between resilience and training outcomes. Although the evaluation of different skills and knowledge showed limited resolution for Training Objectives, a significant correlation was found between resilience and Course Objectives, which are more concerned with the adjustment of individuals to regimentation and their preparedness for future training. This indicates that BMT positively impacts the resilience of enlistees.

One of the key findings was the significance of positive intensity in contributing to the perception of successful adjustment to regimentation and preparedness for future training. This positive intensity likely stems from the bonding among peers during BMT. Shared difficult experiences activate primeval emotional processes, fostering deep connections among enlistees. Such intense positive emotions enhance learning and social bonding, suggesting the need for interventions that increase opportunities for these experiences, thereby improving future training preparedness.

In conclusion, the developmental insights into resilience among service-fit enlistees offer the Army an opportunity to systemize resilience training. By equipping individuals to handle stressors better, the Army can cultivate a more effective military force. Beyond military applications, these resilience training insights have broader implications, including reduced healthcare costs, increased productivity, and enhanced general well-being for individuals throughout their lives.

The present study examined the mediating role of academic self-concepts in the associations between perceived parents’ and teachers’ academic expectations and well-being in a sample of secondary school students in Singapore. The study tested this model in both English and Mathematics at two time points, at the start and the end of the academic school year, across ability bands in each of these two subjects (G1 = lower ability; G2 = middle-ability; G3 = higher ability).

The sample comprised 915 Time-1 and Time-2 matched students. The English sample included 465 students (Mage = 13.99, SDage = 0.95), of which 46.7% were female and 53.3% were male. A total of 28.8% were in Secondary 1, 36.6% in Secondary 2, and 34.6% in Secondary 3. In terms of ability groups, 9.9% were in G1, 36.6% in G2, and 53.5% in G3. For the Mathematics sample, the sample comprised of 450 students (Mage = 13.98, SDage = 0.94, of which 47.6% were female and 52.4% were male participants. A total of 29.6% were in Secondary 1, 36% in Secondary 2, and 34.4% in Secondary 3. The ability group distribution was also comparable, with 10% in G1, 36% in G2, and 54% in G3.

The three main instruments employed were the Self-Description Questionnaire (SDQII; Marsh, 1990a), the EPOCH measure of adolescent well-being (Kern et al., 2016), and the Teacher and Parents Expectations Scale (Liu & Wang, 2007). Path analysis was used to test the multivariate relationships between predictors and outcome variables; thus, direct, indirect, and total effects could be determined to understand the mediating role played by academic self-concept in the links between students’ perceived academic expectations and well-being.

The findings suggest that perceived academic expectations both from parents and teachers significantly predict the students’ ASC, which in turn plays a role in several dimensions of well-being. Notably, ASC was found to mediate the relationships between perceived expectations and well-being outcomes. While the mediating role of ASC remained consistent across subjects, the results further varied based on the level of the students’ ability and the subject of study. For example, perceived teachers’ expectations had more significant relationships with wellbeing in Mathematics than in English. Higher-ability (G3) students had the strongest positive well-being outcomes linked to perceived mathematics teachers’ expectations, while middle-ability (G2) and lower-ability (G1) had weaker associations, with G1 students even experiencing a negative outcome in perseverance.

This study has highlighted the importance of realistic academic expectations by both parents and teachers, coupled with support tailored to meet students’ needs. Besides adding to research, this study has the potential for parents, teachers and the education system to gain insight into and inform interventions for students’ academic self-concepts and overall well-being, given recent changes in education policies in Singapore, namely Full Subject Based Banding.

In a recent review of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) literature using a bibliometric approach, Hyland and Jiang (2021) traced the interest of the field in the past 30 years (1990–2020) to identify changes in research themes and other bibliographical attributes. The review results of tracking 3500 ESP papers on the Social Science Citation Index showed that frequently studied ESP research themes included professional development, genre, corpus, assessment, curriculum, literacy, and discourse, with the research theme of professional development taking the lead. The research areas that remained constantly in focus over the last three decades were found in writing, instruction, business English, higher education, and the role of community. The review results also showed a shift in the trend of research methods, with methods like discourse, corpus, and genre analysis overtaking the use of questionnaires.

From these results, we can draw three implications for ESP listening. First, there remains a paucity of listening research in ESP, an observation that Goh (2012) made more than 10 years ago. Since listening is an important communication and learning skill, more research should be encouraged in the teaching and use of this skill. Of special importance is the need for more research into listening in work contexts. Second, the sustained research focus on professional development suggests that pedagogical strategies and learning materials for listening have the potential to grow further through research insights and teaching innovations. In the contemporary digitalized workplace, leveraging technological and multimodal resources for developing listening skills will be an important area for research. Third, the changes in research methods in many areas of ESP would similarly be seen in listening research, as new research questions arise. Of interest and significance is multimodal listening with technology.

Nonetheless, the study of ESP listening is not complete without an understanding of the general ability to listen in the target language, that is second-language (L2) listening competence (Goh 2012). Yet, there remains limited research and pedagogical interface between general L2 listening and listening for specific purposes, even though they share many fundamental cognitive and functional characteristics. Additionally, the evolving landscape of technology and multimodality in workplace learning and interactions have offered new perspectives on research themes and methods to enhance the scope of research studies, as well as the teaching and learning of ESP listening. In what follows, we draw on theoretical insights about general L2 listening to explain the construct of listening for specific purposes and review research carried out into ESP listening, particularly in the areas of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) (Belcher 2004; Dudley-Evans and St John 1998; Hutchinson and Waters 1987). We will explore the use of technology and multimodality in ESP listening and their impact on research, teaching and learning. Subsequently, we suggest directions for future research and implications for materials and instruction.