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School-based curriculum development in Singapore: A case study of a primary school
Citation
Hairon Salleh, Chua, C. S. K., & Neo, W. L. (2018). School-based curriculum development in Singapore: A case study of a primary school. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 38(4), 518-532. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2018.1530192
Abstract
The term school-based curriculum development (SBCD) implies that teachers are to innovate and customize school curricula according to their local needs. This also means that SBCD requires co-constructive work among schools’ key stakeholders in the school curriculum development process. While much work has made known on SBCD in Western contexts, much less is known in non-Western contexts. This paper reports on key findings pertaining to SBCD drawn from a case study of a primary school in Singapore. Singapore makes for an interesting case as education policymakers encourage schools to innovate their curriculum yet maintaining a steep culture of academic achievement and control over standards across schools. The study involved data collection from non-participant observations of classroom lessons, teacher group meetings and focused group discussions. A salient finding that had emerged from the study is that the societal value for pragmatism underpins the processes of SBCD.
Date Issued
2018
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Journal
Asia Pacific Journal of Education