Jo Ann Shek

The aims of this study was to examine one reading teacher’s practice in a upper primary level English class. The qualitative study investigated the factors that affect a reading teacher’s instructional decisions and enactment. The study sought to add to local understandings about the teaching of reading at the primary levels.
Research questions: 1. How is reading taught at the upper primary levels in Singapore? 2. What approach(es) are used for whole-class instruction and how are they executed in the classroom? 3. What are the enabling and limiting aspects of teacher language and behaviour during enactment of these approach(es)?

Writing is a critical skill for young learners to master for academic purposes and as a work and life skill. This paper is part of a larger study on the English Language 2010 syllabus and its national curriculum in Singapore particularly in the area of the teaching of writing at the primary levels. In this paper, we report findings from a quantitative content analysis of both the syllabus and the curriculum as “policy texts” (Ball, 2005) to locate alignments and variances in a discussion of their potential impact on classroom instruction. Findings from the analysis of these documents reveal that, on the whole, the national curriculum is aligned not only to current approaches for the teaching of writing but also to the syllabus in terms of instructional principles. However, the findings also reveal a difference in terms of emphasis between both documents that may potentially restrict the realisation of syllabus outcomes in the area of writing instruction at the primary levels.

"The present study aims to - 1. train primary teachers to be reflective teachers and imbue them with good questioning techniques to promote critical and analytical thinking in their pupils, and 2. develop primary pupils into critical thinkers with good logical reasoning skills through the introduction of P4C lessons over three semesters." -- p. 3.

According to Mr. Thaman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Education, in his address at the "Innovation and Enterprise in our Schools" Workshop on 16 Feb 2004, the core of I&E is about developing intellectual curiosity, a willingness to think originally, a spirit of initiative, a willingness to do something differently and developing strength of character. Hence one of the key elements that underpin innovation and enterprise is getting our young to question as they learn, thus nurturing the spirit of enquiry. But how could teachers develop this spirit of enquiry in young primary children? Over a period from 1969 to 1986, Matthew Lipman developed a programme for primary and secondary students to foster the development of questioning and reasoning skills. Through the use of specially developed thinking stories as triggers, teachers engage students to discuss philosophical issues, such as friendship and beauty embedded in the stories. In April 2006, Mr. Thaman Shanmugararnam spoke of the need for a 4th R in Education: Reasoning at the Conference on Philosophy for Schools (Straits Times, 8 April 2006, H7) The students discover the importance of supporting the views they express by means of convincing reasons. They learn to appreciate the difference in perspectives within the same group through discussion. As they share the tasks of discerning problems and discovering meanings, they begin to build a community of inquiry. Lipman called his inquiry programme "Philosophy for Children" or P4C. He strongly recommends the P4C to be offered to all primary students. To promote the spirit of enquiry in young primary children, an intervention study was undertaken in a neighbourhood school. P4C lessons were implemented in two Primary Three classes. The duration of treatment was three semesters. The project classes were tested on their reasoning skills before and after the implementation of P4C. Video tapes on the philosophical lessons show encouraging progress in the development of enquiry and reasoning skills in the young children.

Dropping number of enrolments in physics is the primary motivation of this study. Students’ view of physics as a difficult subject contributed to this scenario, and problem-solving skills and motivation directly influenced them. Physical practice proved that problem-based learning (PBL) improves students’ motivation and problem-solving skills. Hence, main objective of this study is to investigate the impact of the integrated online problem-based learning (iON-PBL) module of physics on students’ motivation and problem-solving skills in learning physics. Quasi-experimental research approach was used with a pre-test, post-test, and delayed post-test control group design. The target population comprises of 166 students, 88 females and 28 males, amongst pre-university students of the Preparatory Centre for Science and Technology (PPST), Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) by Pintrich & Groot and Problem-Solving Inventory (PSI) by Heppner & Petersen were adopted as the instruments to measure students’ motivation and problem-solving skills towards learning physics after intervention with the iON-PBL module of physics. Data collected was analysed using SPSS, with paired sample t-test to test the research questions and hypotheses raised at an alpha level of 0.05. Study shows significant difference in students’ motivation towards learning physics, i.e., intrinsic value, and cognitive strategy use components. Similar results in problem-solving skills, i.e., students’ personal control, where this component shows significant difference favour to the experimental group. Some suggestions on how to implement iON-PBL effectively are also highlighted.

Student identity is an important aspect of development for both the learner and for learning. Oftentimes, identity development is sacrificed for content goals in university courses. However, the inventory of twenty-first-century competencies reminds us that more needs to be done to help students embrace their future roles. In this chapter, I present findings from a study on the development of reader and global identities in university students. Quantitative and qualitative data reveal that student identities are developed through engagement in literacy activities like collaborative online discussions, social media, and digital book talks. Findings from the study suggest that identity development is possible when introduced explicitly in tasks through course content. The findings suggest that by strengthening student identities in courses, we may be inching forward toward responding to the new normal.