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Motivation situation in the subject Design and Technology in Singapore schools
Citation
Yau, C. M., & Wong, Y. L. (2006). Motivation situation in the subject Design and Technology in Singapore schools. In Y. J. Lee, A. L. Tan, & B. T. Ho (Eds.), Proceedings of ISEC 2006: Science education: What works [CD-ROM] (pp. 940-950). National Institute of Education (Singapore).
Author
Yau, Che Ming
•
Wong, Yi Lin
Abstract
Design and Technology (D&T) is a design driven subject to promote students' creativity and develop their abilities to design-n-make artefacts for daily needs and problem solving. It is currently a compulsory subject for almost all junior secondary students in Singapore. Girls and boys, regardless of their academic ability, are taking the subject with different degrees of motivation and study attitude. Generally speaking, the subject is well-received. Furthermore, there is a phenomenon that the difference of the number of students who take D&T and work hard for their 2-semesters artefacts and portfolio of their GCE O-Level Examination in different academic ability groups is quite significant. Survey had been done and questionnaires were sent to 15 schools to investigate students’ experience and perception, and therefore a deeper understanding in the context of motivation and study attitude towards the subject of D&T. The paper mainly presents the preliminary findings from the data collected and sorted. The motivation level of students in D&T will be briefly described with the discussion of its few factors. The relationship among motivation level, gender, subject content, and subject delivery will also be highlighted. Finally, some remedial solutions will be suggested for the curriculum design to improve motivation status for students of different ability streams in D&T in Singapore schools.
Date Issued
November 2006
Description
This paper was presented at the International Science Education Conference (ISEC) 2006, held in Singapore from 22 - 24 Nov 2006.