Quek Choon Lang, Gwendoline

This paper focuses on the development and validation of a modified version of the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) in a study of high school philosophy classrooms in Singapore that adopt the ‘community of inquiry’ approach. The modified CLES was administered to 1398 high ability students (grades 7-10) from 49 classes in an all-boy school from the central part of Singapore. Data analysis generally supported each scale’s factor structure, alpha reliability, discriminant validity and ability to differentiate between classrooms. Statistically significant relationships were also found between classroom environment and student outcomes.

This review is part of a longitudinal study that examines teachers’ beliefs, attitudes and expectations towards teaching and professional development. This is the first in a series of reports that focuses on pre-service teachers’ beliefs and attitudes prior to the start of their teacher preparation programme. Currently, most reported studies were qualitative in nature, at the pre-service level, with participants who have already begun their teacher preparation programme. Data collection methods included interviews, surveys, essays and journals. However, substantial information pertaining to pre-entry as well as the early stages of the programme was available.

In the primary school classrooms, students spend almost three terms (20-25 hours) doing project work in groups o f P 5 . In order for any learning task to be conducted effectively, the students need to know how to work collaboratively in their groups, and teachers need to find out how their students perceive one another while working in their groups. This will in turn help teachers help their students build the interdependence and team spirit needed to develop the correct attitude towards project work. The objectives of this study are to assist teachers to better understand how their students collaborate with one another in their groups, and to suggest strategies to enhance students' collaboration in the classroom. Using one of the standard learning environment instruments,the My Class Inventory (MCI), this study assesses students' perceptions oftheir actual and preferred learning environments. This paper reports the results and gives suggestions on how the results can be used to assist in developing appropriate strategies to enhance collaboration in project work classrooms.

This book is written keeping in mind prospective educators as well as practicing educators who are seeking a good understanding of how technology enables, mediates or enhances learning. This book provides insights into the global trends as well as Singapore’s journey in the use of technology for teaching and learning. Readers will benefit from the various aspects of using technology for teaching and learning, including the theoretical underpinning, design methods, planning, managing learners, and related issues and challenges. Key considerations for integrating various technological tools are also discussed at length in these chapters.

This is a go-to book for anyone who wants to understand how to enhance teaching and learning with technology.

This study investigates 80 pre-service teachers’ exploration of using a computer mediated communication tool to design interdisciplinary projects collaboratively. Over a period of six weeks, the pre-service teachers assumed their roles as curriculum designers in project crafting. They were engaged in discussions via the online discussion forums and face-toface tutorial sessions. Amongst their project groups of 4-5 members, they carried out brainstorming of project ideas, asking questions and decision making about their views and ideas of projects. Their online activities and discussions were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. The implications and key learning points of their project crafting are discussed in this paper.

As we reflect on the pedagogies adopted in the globally driven digital transformation due to Covid-19 pandemic, it is time for us to take stock of what we have all experienced as educators. With disrupted school attendance, teaching and learning were shifted to the online platform. Teachers devised new teaching and learning strategies to minimise disruptions in schooling and the term Home-based Learning (HBL) became popular. Such lived episodes make us recalibrate our current teaching practices with technology and rationalize and plan for the next leap as educators. How future-ready are we in gearing ourselves towards the adoption of new pedagogies in this digital transformation journey? This chapter aims to provide you the definitions of e-pedagogy and e-pedagogies used in literature and the adoption of e-pedagogy in Singapore. The rationalization of e-pedagogy for Singapore teachers and examples of e-pedagogy and classroom practices will also be covered.

This online collaborative project enhances the traditional face-to-face teaching and learning in a typical classroom. It provides an avenue for innovative teaching and learning in the borderless world between Singapore and German secondary schools. Using this cross-cultural context, the project focused on two parts. In the first part, the students from both countries learnt the project skills of argumentative writing, researching on genetically modified food and its related issues. They also learnt to work in collaborative groups in the planning of debate with their overseas counterparts. In the second part, the students engaged in the debate culminating in a "live" exchange using Microsoft Network (MSN) Chat. The local sample consisted of 32 students (aged 13-14)from one class in a typical Singapore high school, while the German sample consisted of 16 students (aged 15-16)from one class in a high school in Neustadt i.H., Germany. The students' responses in this online learning approach were analysed qualitatively. A teachers' resource file was written and a website recording of the exchanges was created. The implications and key learning points of this project will also be discussed in this paper.

We will be using content analysis to further the understanding of teaching and learning in two philosophy classroom discussions that adopt the ‘community of inquiry’ approach. Our sample consisted of 35 high ability students (aged 14) from one class in an all-boy high school in the central part of Singapore. For the purpose of this study, a video recording of the discussions was used. The students’ responses were categorized quantitatively, and interrater reliability determined using the percent agreement statistic. The implications and key learning points will also be discussed in this paper.