Legacy of Edmund William (E.W.) Barker: Commemorating the 15th anniversary of the E.W. Barker professorship and scholarship
Discourse on the physical education classes formed within primary school students in Singapore
Physical Education (PE) classes at primary schools in Singapore have been conducted based on the PE syllabus in which the mission and vision are stated as "Developing a Curriculum to Meet the Needs of the Nation, Community and Individual" and "Every Child is Physically Educated' respectively. Especially, PERI (2009) emphasised the non-academic courses in the curriculum and reported that PE is a subject which gives
students an opportunity to build confidence and relationships with others as well as develop leadership, character and diverse skills.
While the Singapore MOE has continuously supported primary school PE in recent days, the PE was reported as 'just playing' in the past before optional 0-level PE syllabus was executed in 2007 (Fry & Tan, 2005). The research of Fry and Tan (2005) described how students perceive PE of Singapore but the overall epistemological structure as well as why the discourse on primary school PE classes amongst current students is constituted in such a way that brings them discursive meaning are less clear due to the lack of study in this
area.
By Foucault, the Singapore's primary school PE class cannot be defined as it is. It is a discourse that is constituted by surrounding people of that age (Chung, 2009). It is critical because it does not illustrate past facts from a present perspective but rather describe them at the present perspective (Lee, 2003). To study episteme, new research method is required which is different to an existing historical method and that is archaeology which can be used to analyse a history of the present. Foucault traces why people use the 'particular' discourse, not other discourse as well as why the people's views on the discourse are necessarily
formed in a particular way. Disclosing the structure of the discourse through Foucault's approach, it can be found how an educational policy in Singapore has been developed and progressed.
Voices of Singapore national beach volleyball female athletes: What is an ideal coach?
A coach has a great influence on athletes’ performance and development. Communication and coaching styles that work with male athletes may not be effective in female athletes. The alignment of coaching to the preferences of female athletes is important for effective coaching and their holistic development. Therefore, it is essential to understand how female athletes perceive an ideal coach. The purpose of this research is to uncover how Singapore national beach volleyball female athletes voice about an ideal coach. Seven Singapore national beach volleyball female athletes were interviewed. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The three main themes are – understanding the female athletes, being a role model with responsibility, and possessing rich experience as a coach and athlete. The three main themes that were developed from the voices of the Singapore national beach volleyball female athletes are supported by the literature on transformational coaching in terms of these components: idealized influence and individualized consideration. The findings of this research could help to establish a more comfortable, trusting and well-communicated training environment for female athletes.
Trends of physical activity and sedentary behaviours among secondary school students in Singapore: What has changed in 15 years?
The objective of the current study was to examine the trends of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) of adolescents in Singapore with two datasets 15 years apart (2006 and 2021). A total sample of 1075 secondary students (mean age = 14.91 ± 0.43 years old) from 15 schools in Singapore took part in the study. A seven-day recall Self-administered Physical Activity Checklist (SAPAC) questionnaire was used to capture time spent on the internet/computer, gaming, homework, reading, sitting and talking/listening to music, telephone, television watching, and PA. Results showed that the 2021 sample spent significantly more time on gaming, homework, sit and talk/listening to music, phone, and PA compared to the 2006 sample, while time spent watching television was significantly lower than the 2006 sample. Both datasets found PA had low or close to zero correlations with all the seven SB, however, the patterns of correlations were different in the two datasets, indicating changes in the trends of SB and PA. Cluster analysis found similar cluster profiles in the two samples but the cluster proportions for certain profiles were different from the two datasets. Significant sex differences were also found in the cluster compositions. Overall, this study shows that PA and SB trends of adolescents have changed significantly.
Following the footsteps of specialist physical education teachers in Singapore's primary schools
This study explored the footsteps of specialist physical education teachers in Singapore’s primary schools. In particular, this paper uncovered the physical education teacher training in Singapore during post-colonial days, ground situations leading to the rise of the specialist physical education teachers and government policies influencing the increase of them in primary schools. Document analysis was employed to trace the development of teachers teaching physical education in Singapore’s primary schools since the 1950s. The focus was on how this development influences the position of specialist physical education teachers in primary schools. The key role of the primary school physical education teacher has changed from a teacher whose focus was on physical fitness to a teacher who looks to develop pupils holistically through pupil-centric sports and outdoor activities. A generalist teacher that did not specialize in physical education is no longer suitable to teach physical education. Government policies and initiatives such as the robust recruitment of physical education teachers and the continuation of the Diploma in Physical Education programme have had a direct impact on the increasing number of primary school specialist physical education teachers. However, this increase is still insufficient. A concerted effort must be made by the school management to prioritize the quality of physical education lessons and sports programmes.
Foucault’s history of the present: The birth of the games concept approach in Singapore’s Physical Education curriculum
The year 1999 saw a major shift in Singapore’s Physical Education curriculum when the traditional teaching approach in primary schools was replaced by a more game-like one, aptly known as the Games Concept Approach (GCA). Based on Foucault’s ‘History of the Present’ which intended to distinguish the kind of historical projects that brought this change, the focus is on tracing the forces that gave birth to the present-day practices and identifying the historical conditions which caused this shift towards GCA. Inspired by Foucault’s distinct elements of status, institutional sites and situation, the perspective of revealing a ‘history of the present’ on the birth of GCA in Singapore creates a better understanding of why it is still being taught in the PE curriculum.
Isotemporal substitution of accelerometer-derived sedentary behavior and physical activity on physical fitness in young children
This study investigates the effects of different types of physical activity (PA) on the physical fitness (PF) of young children in Japan, with a particular focus on how substituting sedentary behavior (SB) with active behaviors influences PF. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 1843 participants aged 3–6 years from northeastern Japan. Using triaxial accelerometers, we quantified PA, and PF was assessed via standardized tests. The innovative application of isotemporal substitution modeling (ISM) allowed us to analyze the impact of reallocating time from SB to more active states, specifically moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and light physical activity (LPA). Our findings reveal a robust association between increased MVPA and enhanced PF outcomes, underscoring the health benefits of reducing SB. Notably, replacing SB with LPA also showed beneficial effects on certain PF metrics, indicating LPA's potential role in early childhood fitness. These results highlight the critical importance of promoting MVPA and minimizing sedentary periods to bolster PF in young children. The study offers vital insights for shaping public health policies and emphasizes the need to cultivate an active lifestyle from an early age to secure long-term health advantages.