Master of Arts (Applied Psychology)

Reading comprehension (RC) is essential for academic success and everyday functioning, making its accurate assessment crucial for identifying students needing support and guiding educational interventions. However, existing standardised RC assessments, primarily developed in monolingual English contexts, have limitations when used with students with diverse language experiences, such as those in Singapore. This study examined the psychometric properties of the English and Chinese versions of the Singapore Multilingual Assessment of Reading Comprehension (SMARC), a RC test designed for Singaporean bilingual children by O’Brien et al. (2021).

Secondary data collected from 436 Singapore primary school students across grades Primary 1 to 3 (P1 to P3), who each completed the RC test corresponding to their grade level in English and their mother tongue language, were analysed using the dichotomous Rasch model. Test validity was evaluated based on (i) unidimensionality (i.e., whether items measure the same latent construct), (ii) the fit between observed data and the Rasch model (i.e., whether higher-achieving test takers have higher probability of answering individual items correctly than lower-achieving test takers), and (iii) the targeting of items (i.e., how well the test difficulty matched person ability). Test reliability was evaluated based on the test’s discriminative ability (i.e., how well test takers were classified into different levels of RC ability).

Findings revealed that the tests currently do not meet the requirements to serve as a reliable and valid measurement tool at their intended grade levels. Analyses presented in this paper exhibited low validity and reliability for the English and Chinese P1 and P2 tests, and low validity with unacceptable reliability for the English and Chinese P3 tests. While the English and Chinese P1 and P2 tests demonstrated potential for use as screeners - identifying below-average performers in the English tests, and broadly distinguishing higher- and lower-performing groups in the Chinese tests—their accuracy would remain questionable. Recommendations to refine the test were provided based on observations that the English tests were too easy for their respective grade levels while the Chinese P3 test was somewhat easy. Additionally, the Chinese P1 and P2 tests had items that impacted the overall fit of the tests.

Overall, this pilot study provided preliminary insights into the psychometric properties of the first RC test developed for bilingual Singaporean children, highlighting areas for improvement. Further research is essential to refine the RC test, ultimately creating an operational tool that can facilitate bilingual research and diagnostic applications, thereby to enhance reading development and educational outcomes in Singapore.

This study explored the predictive relationship between autistic working adults’ individual characteristics (i.e., gender, age at the start of employment, highest education level attained, and presence of other mental disorders) and the length of their employment periods, with a particular interest of their employment status at the 12-month time point, otherwise termed ‘employment sustainability’. It also further explored how their pre-employment levels of independence in various soft skills, namely, their work habits, self-management, communication and interaction skills, and independent functioning, may predict employment sustainability. The aim of the study was to determine if there were any identifiable traits or pre-employment skills autistic individuals possess that may indicate longer employment periods, which was positioned in this study as a measure of employment success in autistic adults.

Pre-enrolment assessment data collected by a local vocational agency, using a standardized assessment checklist, otherwise known as the E2C Vocational Assessment Soft Skills Checklist (EVASSC), on a total of 185 (146 male, 39 female; mean age: 25.5 years) job-matched autistic clients was analyzed. Based on the results, this study did not find any significant relationship between autistic employees’ demographic variables and the length of their employment periods. While the overall model for demographic variables as predictors was non-significant, it was found that the presence of other mental disorders significantly predicted clients having difficulty maintaining employment within their first 12 months. Additionally, this study found that autistic clients’ soft skills pre-employment was a significant predictor of employment sustainability. Specifically, the higher level of support autistic clients required pre-employment in the soft skill domain of independent functioning, the longer they remained in their vocational positions.

These results thus have implications on the screening of potential autistic employees, in that their skillsets should take priority over individual characteristics when considering them for hire. The findings also inform a need for mental health services in vocational rehabilitation of autistic employees, as well as more refined processes in promoting career progression in autistic adults with higher levels of independent functioning.

To support an increasing number of students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in mainstream schools, it is important for teachers to differentiate their instruction to meet the varied needs of students. This study examined the current levels of use of differentiated instruction and academic progress monitoring practices among 98 Primary School English Language (EL) teachers in Singapore (81% female, average of 16.1 years in service) to support students with dyslexia in their classroom. It also explores teachers’ existing attitudes towards inclusion, self-efficacy for inclusive practices, and perceptions of student diversity. The study also examined if teachers’ attitudes, self-efficacy, and perceptions of student diversity can predict their use of differentiated instruction and academic progress monitoring practices, and the mediating role of teachers’ self-efficacy for inclusive practices. Results indicated that teachers’ self-efficacy significantly predicted their differentiated instruction and academic progress monitoring practices. Teachers’ perceptions of student diversity significantly predicted their differentiated instruction practices and marginally predicted academic progress monitoring practices. However, teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion did not predict both differentiated instruction and academic progress monitoring practices. Teachers’ self-efficacy for inclusive practices fully mediated the relationship between teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion and their differentiated instruction practices. Findings from this study add to our understanding on the influence of various teacher factors on teachers’ inclusive practices in the classroom and highlights the importance of building teachers’ self-efficacy for inclusive practices. Limitations, possible future research, and implications of the results were discussed.