A qualitative study of primary school Chinese language teachers' use of curriculum materials

Abstract

In Singapore, the teaching and learning of Chinese Language (CL) has long been an important issue and concern for the government. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has been committed to ensuring high standards in CL education, through keeping the curriculum relevant to changing needs at the national and international milieu. A central part of these efforts is the provision of standardised and mandated CL curriculum materials for both primary and secondary schools. These curriculum materials play a crucial role in daily classroom teaching in achieving teaching excellence. They serve to aid curriculum reform, maintain standards in curriculum delivery, and at the same time, recommend suitable pedagogies and assessment strategies. However, there is a lack of local research concerning teachers’ use of CL curriculum materials in Singapore. As a result, little is known about CL teachers’ use of mandated curriculum materials and the factors that influence their decision making. <br><br> This dissertation aims to present a better understanding of how CL teachers use curriculum materials in classrooms. The research questions are: How do primary school CL teachers use CL curriculum materials and related guidelines? How do CL teachers’ beliefs about their curriculum roles and understanding of students’ learning profile might account for their use of the curriculum materials in class? The methods of the study are qualitative participant observation of classroom teaching and interviews with four Singapore primary school Chinese teachers. Three major research findings are found. First, Chinese language teaching in primary schools is centred around standardised CL textbooks. Second, primary CL teachers do not follow mandated materials rigidly. They select and adapt mandated curriculum materials in their classrooms to achieve different purposes. Third, teachers’ beliefs about their curriculum roles and understanding of students’ profile do influence their use of curriculum materials in class. <br><br> This research project has important implications for Singapore’s CL education. It is recommended that MOE redirect assessment focus and recalibrate implementation structure to support the flexible use of curriculum materials, design CL curriculum materials that support flexible use to cater for diverse students’ learning needs, and construct professional development that nurtures flexible curriculum material users.