Now showing 1 - 10 of 15
  • Publication
    Open Access
    Inclusive education in Singapore primary school classrooms
    The study aims to provide an insider perspective of inclusion in Singapore primary schools. Two hundred educators were interviewed about their perceptions and experiences of inclusion. Findings shed light on the definition and implementation of inclusion, teachers’ personal experience, perceived barriers to and facilitators of to inclusion, and its advantages and disadvantages. Inclusion as currently practised in Singapore is an integration pull-out model. Teachers shared slightly more negative than positive experiences and provided valuable insights into the challenges and rewards of inclusion. Teacher attitude, a critical factor for successful inclusion, is related to perceived school support. More than training, teachers need to experience success. There are implications for school leadership, training, class allocation for special needs, and assessment.
      2249  2794
  • Publication
    Restricted
    The role of self-regulatory and motivational processes in the academic and social functioning of secondary one students
    This study examines the academic and social self-regulatory functioning of thirteen-year old secondary one students from different academic streams, and the role personal agency beliefs plays in facilitating such functioning. The thesis assumes that both academic and social self-regulation. and the self-beliefs of academic and social efficacy, specific aspects of self-concept and affiliation-based motivation are important in enhancing strategic learning and successful school engagement. It questions the validity of Western conceptualized and individualistically-oriented motivational concepts, and argues for a role for affiliation-based motives in supporting students' academic and social initiatives in a largely collectivistic context like Singapore. It also examines whether both academic and social self-regulation share common underlying processes, so that by reinforcing these processes, it may be possible to strengthen both academic and social functioning. An intervention programme was designed to test out the conceptual model involving the postulated relations between self-regulatory processes and motivational variables with low achieving students. Unlike many cognitive interventions that were specifically designed to teach strategies to enhance learning, this training aimed at strengthening the students' self-regulatory functioning an,d underlying motivational beliefs that come to influence educational outcomes.
      255  41
  • Publication
    Open Access
    Inclusive education in Singapore primary school classrooms
    (Office of Education Research, National Institute of Education, Singapore, 2024) ;
    Neihart, Maureen
    ;
    ;
    The purpose of the research is to examine the perceptions of primary school educators toward inclusive education in Singapore. The research study seeks to provide an understanding of inclusion as it is practiced in Singapore primary schools. It examines the features of inclusion and its implementation, the experience of primary school teachers, perceived barriers and facilitators of inclusion, and the benefits and disadvantages of inclusion.
      30  266
  • Publication
    Open Access
    Supporting preschoolers with developmental delays in low-resource families: A positive deviance perspective
    (Sage, 2023) ;
    Tanuwira, Juliet
    ;
    Nandita Chandrakant Nalawala
    ;
    Wong, Shi Ning
    Parent education programs are important avenues through which parents of children with developmental delays can learn new skills to help them with child-rearing challenges. However, those in economic hardship often face problems with applying these skills at home where the child’s learning and/or behavioral problems commonly occur. In this exploratory qualitative study, we adopted a positive deviance (PD) lens to explore strategies six economically disadvantaged parents used to support their children who were attending special and mainstream preschools concurrently. The PD perspective was first used in public health research with low-resource communities where a few individuals have been observed to adopt uncommon practices and behaviors that enable them to find better ways to prevent social or health problems than their neighbors facing similar constraints and risks. We identified adaptive parental behaviors, thoughts and feelings that helped them navigate daily hassles faced with “dual schooling” their children in Singapore. The study highlights important implications in the development and refinement of future parent training programs.
      98  121
  • Publication
    Open Access
    An inclusion initiative in Singapore for preschool children with special needs
    (Taylor & Francis, 2011) ;
    Neihart, Maureen
    ;
    Tang, Hui Nee
    ;
    ;
    This paper describes a preschool inclusion initiative in Singapore, which currently has no mandate for integrating children with special needs in mainstream schools. This very small-scale qualitative study involving children with mild learning disabilities discusses a therapy outreach programme by a local children’s hospital. It explores the supports and challenges of this experience based on interviews with therapists, teachers, principals, and parents. Facilitators of inclusion included communication, collaboration, availability of training and resources, and a readiness for inclusion. Barriers to inclusion included person-related hindrances, structural obstacles, gaps in program delivery, and limited specialized training and resources. We learned that in the absence of mandatory provisions for inclusion, children with special needs can be supported in regular education when there is “buy in” for early inclusion and intervention amongst key stakeholders. Practical strategies toward this end are discussed.
    WOS© Citations 14Scopus© Citations 15  489  13967
  • Publication
    Open Access
    The impact of a socio-cognitive training program on self-processes and the self-regulatory functioning of low achieving students in Singapore
    (Hong Kong Educational Research Association, 2004)
    This study investigates the effects of a classroom-based intervention program aimed at enhancing low achieving students' self-perceptions of their own ability, agency, control, and efficacy. The quasi-experimental study with 89 secondary school students was carried out over ten 35-45 minute weekly sessions in two Singapore schools. By adopting a socio-cognitive perspective in which self regulatory processes and personal agency beliefs are incorporated, the program aimed at fostering the students' will through helping them to appraise their role in assuming personal responsibility in change processes, and their skill through using various metacognitive and cognitive strategies to effect personal changes. The exposures to the instructional activities showed a positive impact on the self-efficacy and self-regulation in the academic domain but not on aspects of self-concept, social efficacy and social regulation, suggesting that these two socio-cognitive variables may be more amenable to change than social constructs that are less definable and more general conceptually. Qualitative data provided useful feedback on how the concepts could be refined to help create greater metacognitive knowledge and awareness of school-related skills in the students. Educational implications for the classroom were discussed in the light of these findings.
      149  190
  • Publication
    Open Access
    How teacher-student relationship influenced student attitude towards teachers and school
    This study examines the influence of both student and teacher perception of the student-teacher relationship on student's attitude towards teachers and school. It also seeks to explore any gender differences in the perception of teacher-student relationship between male and female adolescents. A sample of 1,266 students (541 girls and 725 boys) from six different middle schools in Singapore participated in this study. Findings indicated that gender differences were observed for certain dimensions in the teacher-student relationship predicting their attitude towards teachers and school. Possible explanations for the obtained results were suggested and implications of the findings were also discussed.
      3755  11893