Toh, Tin Lam

2021, Toh, Tin Lam, Cheng, Lu Pien, Lim, Lee Hean, Lim, Kam Ming

In this chapter, we discuss the comics package we have developed to teach lower secondary school statistics of the mathematics curriculum. Most people would think that comics for classroom instruction can at most stop at arousing students’ interest in the subject, especially among the low-attaining students. However, we assert that using comics in teaching lower secondary statistics can introduce the students to much of the statistical processes within contexts that are meaningful to students, invite them to engage in higher order thinking tasks in order to develop their critical thinking ability. We also discuss snapshots of how one teacher enacted the statistics lessons based on our comics teaching package, and two teachers’ response to the comics package.

2021, Toh, Tin Lam

This chapter discusses how Singapore strives for excellence in mathematics education in various ways. The chapter begins with the importance that Singapore has placed in identifying and developing its mathematically talented students for the prestigious mathematics competitions. Simultaneously, local mathematics community attempt to popularise mathematics competition among more interested student population and even attempt to align mathematics competition with the school curriculum, so as to benefit more student population in a variety of ways. The chapter continues to discuss the notion of mathematics competitive activities to include mathematics research and real-world problem-solving in order to identify and nurture a much wider group of mathematics talents among the Singapore students. At the systemic level, various attempts to develop and stretch our talents are emplaced, such as the Gifted Education Programme and the Integrated Programme. Within the curriculum structure, much has been done to provide differentiated instructions for students from primary to preuniversity education. This will culminate in the imminent subject-based banding, which will be implemented in full scale in the near future.

2023, Kaur, Berinderjeet, Toh, Tin Lam, Tay, Eng Guan

Up until 1990, the Institute of Education in Singapore was primarily a teaching institute involved in training teachers for Singapore schools. Since the inception of the National Institute of Education (NIE) in 1990, as an institute of the Nanyang Technological University, the focus of the institute has been enlarged to include research in education. This chapter examines, through a documentary analysis, how a research culture specifically in mathematics education at the National Institute of Education was nurtured, developed and supported from 1990 onwards. Development of the culture for Mathematics Education Research (MER) has been in tandem with all other areas of research at the NIE. Both top-down and bottom-up approaches have been adopted to support research as part of an academic’s work at the institute. Policies related to recruitment and promotion of academics were developed to ensure that emphasis was on both teaching and research. Development of research, from individually led bite-sized grains to team-based project with coherent themes, was supported. The setting up of the Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice in 2004 and dedicated funding from the Ministry of Education Singapore for research of the Singapore education system heralded an era of MER that has made significant contributions both nationally and internationally. This chapter will also illuminate the four main areas of focus and sources on MER through examples of studies carried out in Singapore since 2000. In addition, it briefly outlines the contribution of MER in ASEAN countries.