Teacher professional development in a Singapore school: Tensions and contradictions

Abstract

This SUG is a follow-up of an earlier research study (OER 24/12 CCH) done by Chang, Teng, Tan, Chan, and Tham-Poh (2014) of NIE and the Ministry of Education (MOE). Chang, Tan, Chan, et al. (2014) conducted a baseline study and extended exploration on the factors affecting a teacher’s motivation to do professional development. They identified the following issues and tensions that teachers commonly faced when they engage in professional development, that is, (a) to balance between individual versus organisational needs, (b) to juggle the responsibility to stay current versus being there for students’ learning and (c) to choose between compulsory professional development versus voluntary on need basis (Tan, Chang, & Teng, 2015). This SUG adopts a case study approach towards the understanding of how teachers and the school community from a typical school facilitate the reconciliation of the above-mentioned tensions and dilemmas faced by teachers and the school in their engagement with in-service professional learning.