Teaching diverse learners: Conceptualisations and pedagogies of preschool teachers
This study is relevant in the present climate of concerns about preschool quality (MOE, 2003, 2007, 2008) and supports Singapore‘s ability-driven education system within the national vision of becoming a ―global city‖ (Lim, 2005) and an inclusive society (i.e. ―Singapore 21‖ report). Despite being a private sector, preschools in Singapore have been in the spotlight since the year 2000 when the MOE began to pay greater attention to quality in preschool education by intervening in a number of ways.The key assumption underlying the series of past and ongoing MOE initiatives is that quality preschool education can play a role to equalise or ―level up‖ children from lower socio-economic groups so that they are not disadvantaged in primary school (MOE, 7 Mar 2007). And yet, the definition of quality preschool education remains vague in official discourses and teaching communities. There is much lip service being paid to trendy terms such as ―play-based and interactive‖, or ―engaging and stimulating‖ but what do these actually look like? Do all teachers have common understanding of these supposedly quality practices?
This study recognizes that Singapore society is becoming increasingly diverse in the 21st century partly due to the continued influx of foreigners, and the widening income gap within its residential population. This diversity is definitely reflected in Singapore preschools. Given the increasing diversity within the populace, this research study‘s focus on teaching diverse learners in the Singapore context is an important contribution to expanding current theoretical notions of human ―diversity‖ and speaking to local and international research on culturally relevant pedagogies for the 21st century, in view of the changing social fabric of this nation.
Teaching diverse learners: Conceptualisations and pedagogies of preschool teachers
"Given our interest in advancing teacher inquiry, as well as in exploring preschool teachers' understandings of diverse learners and how to teach diverse learners in Singapore classrooms, the following research questions guided this study: 1. How does this group of effective preschool teachers in Singapore conceptualize and talk about diverse learners in their teaching? 2. How do these teachers' individual conceptualizations of diversity influence their classroom teaching and learning (i.e., teaching practices)?" -- p. 1.