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- PublicationOpen Access新加坡中学华文一体化课文的可读性(新加坡华文教研中心, 2024)新加坡2021年版中学华文教材采用一体化设计,使五个不同程度的华文课程在同一体例下既分化又融合。文本的可读性是测量文本难易程度的方法,比较2021年版教材和2011年版教材的课文可读性,能探讨一体化设计下各课程之间的水平差异。研究发现,2021年版教材各个课程之间的水平差异有所变更,调高了高级华文和快捷华文的课文难度,拉开了快捷华文和普通学术华文之间的水平差距,将基础华文和华文B放在同一水平。研究还表明,华文二语可读性公式能简便、客观地测定华文文本的难度,是教材编写人员与教师在选择文本时,可以方便操作的实用方法,对于优化华文教学具有重要的意义。
- PublicationOpen AccessNIEWS: 2024, Issue 129(National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University (NIE NTU), Singapore, 2024)
- PublicationMetadata onlyA longitudinal study of breastmilk feeding duration, EEG power and early academic skills(Elsevier, 2024)
Background The cognitive benefits of breastfeeding are widely recognized; however, its effects on brain development and later academic skills require further examination. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal relations between breastmilk feeding, neurophysiological changes, and early academic skills.
Methods
In the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) birth cohort, breastmilk feeding practices were collected every 3 months from 3 weeks to 18 months postpartum. Resting electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded at 18 months and power spectral density was derived. The outcomes were a set of early academic assessments administered at age 4 (n = 810). Structural equation modelling was used to investigate EEG power as a mediator between breastmilk duration and early academic skills.Results
Breastmilk feeding for ≥12 months was associated with better general knowledge, numeracy, and language at age 4 compared to shorter durations of breastmilk feeding (Cohen's d: 1.53–17.44). Linear regression showed that breastmilk duration was negatively and positively associated with low- (i.e., delta, theta) and high-frequency power (i.e., gamma), respectively (Cohen's f2: 0.03–0.09). After adjusting for demographic and child baseline covariates, a decrease in absolute and relative delta, as well as absolute theta was associated with better general knowledge and numeracy (Cohen's f2: 0.31–0.42). Relative delta power provided an indirect path between breastmilk duration and early academic skills (x2: 18.390, p = 0.010; CFI: 0.978; TLI: 0.954; RMSEA: 0.040).Conclusions
Extended breastmilk feeding is associated with reduced low-frequency power and better early academic skills, suggesting benefits to brain development. Additional research to confirm this finding is warranted. - PublicationMetadata onlySchool students’ aspirations for STEM careers: The influence of self-concept, parental expectations, career outcome expectations, and perceptions of stem professionals(Taylor & Francis, 2024)This study examined the processes that contributed to students’ aspirations for STEM careers and unpacked the relationships between students’ self-concept in science and mathematics learning, perceived parental expectations, perceptions of STEM professionals, career outcome expectations and STEM career aspirations. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse quantitative survey data of 2,477 primary and secondary school students studying in seven Asian regions (Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mainland China, Indonesia, Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore). The results demonstrated that students’ self-concept, perceptions of STEM professionals, and their career outcome expectations all significantly and positively predicted their aspirations for STEM careers. However, this study failed to establish a direct relationship or positive correlation between perceived parental expectations and STEM career aspirations. Students’ self-concept negatively predicted their career outcome expectations related to seeking parental approval. While no significant positive effects of perceived parental expectations on career aspirations were found, an indirect effect of perceived parental expectations on STEM career aspirations via career outcome expectations was observed. Moreover, career outcome expectations mediated the relationships between students’ STEM career aspirations and their perceptions of STEM professionals more strongly than self-concept. The implications of these results for STEM education are discussed.
- PublicationEmbargoInterrelations between acuity of the approximate number system and symbolic skills in preschool children(Taylor & Francis, 2024)This study investigates how the approximate number system (ANS) and young children’s symbolic skills jointly develop and interact. Specifically, the study aims at disentangling the directionality of the association between ANS acuity and a wide range of symbolic skills that reflect 4- to 5-year-olds’ symbolic quantitative knowledge (enumeration skills, knowledge of the verbal count sequence, symbolic comparison skills, and single-digit arithmetic). After accounting for individual differences in several domain-general skills (visuospatial working memory, non-verbal reasoning, and phonological processing), path models on longitudinal data collected from 4-year-old childen in Spain (N = 62) over one year revealed that earlier single-digit arithmetic and symbolic magnitude comparison skills predicted changes in ANS acuity over time. No contribution from earlier ANS to improvements in symbolic skills was found. Notably, the strength of the effect of visuospatial working memory on improvements in ANS acuity over time was like that of the auto-regressor – the correlation between measures of ANS acuity across time points. Implications for extant theories on the nature of the associations between ANS and young children’s symbolic skills are drawn.
- PublicationOpen AccessThe effects of values and principles in sports coach education course designed to promote values-driven coaching styles(Sage, 2024)
The ability of youth sport coaches to intentionally teach athletes values is often recognised as a critical pursuit throughout youth sport research. However, as coach education programmes and coach development systems seek to enhance the knowledge and skills of coaches, there is a need to investigate the effects that these initiatives have on coaching practices. The purpose of this multi-methods study was to investigate the effectiveness and perceived benefits of the Values and Principles in Sport (VPS) coach education course, specifically regarding values-driven coaching practices. Twenty-seven coaches and athletes from their teams (n = 85) participated in the study. Fourteen coaches attended the VPS course, which aimed to equip coaches with knowledge and skills for promoting values-driven coaching practices. Among this group, quantitative data were collected using a coach-centric systematic observation tool and an athlete survey, while qualitative data were collected through individual interviews with coaches and focus groups with athletes. Additionally, the 13 coaches who did not attend the VPS course – as well as athletes from their teams – were included in a control group and completed the quantitative measures. Quantitative results that are related to teaching values suggest that coaches who attended the VPS course did not perform better than those in the control group. However, the course did impact coaching style, suggesting high inter-individual differences in coaching styles (i.e., reserved, average, engaging, purposeful, and VPS-active). Qualitative results highlight that, among coaches who attended the VPS course, the course contributed to understanding and awareness related to teaching values in sport and the transfer of values outside of sport. Taken together, the study underscores the value of incorporating practical components in designing a VPS course, as well as the potential for individualising coach development pathways based on coaching style.
- PublicationOpen AccessUsing the world health organisation eye care competency framework to guide curriculum development: A case study(Sage, 2024)
The provision of eye care services faces global challenges due to ageing populations and a shortage of trained eye care personnel. The World Health Organisation Eye Care Competency Framework provides a set of competencies that may be used for workforce planning and the development of an eye care workforce. Using a backward design, we mapped the Eye Care Competency Framework against established curricula. It was found that this was a useful framework for novice program designers to refer to when planning programs and may be beneficial in standardising programs to ensure a minimum standard is met.
- PublicationEmbargoDesign transparency of high-school chemistry teachers’ guides: A comparative study(Taylor & Francis, 2024)
The influence of teachers' guides (TGs) as an essential curriculum resource supporting instruction, professional development, and reflection among teachers has been well studied. However, there is scarce research on the design transparency of TGs whereby the intentions of curriculum designers are made explicit and accessible. To fill this gap, we conducted a comparative study of high-school chemistry TGs across four common topics in China and Korea to analyse the categories, frequencies and depth of supports found within them, specifically in terms of their (i) design rationales, (ii) storyline and (iii) other transparency supports. The results showed that their TGs exhibited more similarities than differences and placed the highest emphasis on explaining teaching methods which accounted for around half of their content. Another emphasis was on communicating rationales with the highest proportion of support devoted to explaining course objectives and the purpose of an activity. Nonetheless, storyline design transparency supports (especially concerning interdisciplinary connections) were severely lacking. These results hold implications for the development of more effective TGs for chemistry instruction in terms of explicitly stating rationales behind pedagogy and activities (i.e. “the why”), pointing out learning difficulties and use of representations by students, interdisciplinary teaching and implementing differentiated instruction among other supports.
- PublicationOpen AccessEngaging online students in blended synchronous learning: An exploratory study(The International Academic Forum, 2024)Blended synchronous learning (BSL) is an instructional approach that enables online students to participate in classroom activities from geographically separated sites using video conferencing technologies. Despite its educational benefits, maintaining and increasing the engagement of online students is challenging. In this study, some strategies were adopted in two classes (N=22 & 23) to investigate how online students could be effectively engaged and their perceptions of the strategies applied. Surveys and focus group discussions were administered. Results showed that leading group discussions was helpful for online students to be engaged. However, it had challenges for online students as they did not know who was talking and not every member could be observed in the video. Having a teaching assistant (TA) was highly rated. It enabled the instructor to pay close attention to the questions posted to the chat box promptly and helped online students know what was happening in class when the connection was unstable. Giving peer feedback was another useful strategy. However, it only worked when everyone was familiar with the assignment topics of others. Using an interactive tool like Pear Deck did not noticeably increase student engagement. It seemed the design of learning content and activities was more important than the tool itself. In addition, the students commonly indicated that they were highly engaged, and they did not think that their engagement level was lower when they were online. This finding was inconsistent with existing literature, which requires further investigation in the future. Implications for practitioners and researchers are discussed.
- PublicationOpen AccessComparing online learning experiences between university students with and without special educational needs during COVID-19(The International Academic Forum, 2024)The aim of this study is to examine the online learning experiences of university students with Special Educational Needs (SEN), and how their experiences might differ from their typically developing peers. Fifty typically developing students (mean age = 22; 29 females) and 31 students with SEN (mean age = 22; 15 females) from a local university in Singapore participated in an online survey. Both groups reported significant increase in the proportion of online learning after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. Both groups reported being moderately positive about their online learning experiences, with no significant difference between the groups (either before or after the outbreak). For both groups, Learning Activity Management System (LAMS), pre-recorded lectures, online finals/quizzes, live lectures, online assignments, and online tutorials were the common online learning formats. Laptop/desktop was the primary device used, and Zoom was the most preferred online learning software. The SEN group reported higher usage of technical accommodations. Accessibility was the top advantage of online learning reported by typically developing students while for students with SEN, it was flexibility. Lower social interaction was the top challenge encountered for both groups. These findings would be useful in making online learning more inclusive for everyone in university.
- PublicationOpen AccessDesigning and prototyping of AI-based real-time mobile detectors for calisthenic push-up exercise(Elsevier, 2024)Fitness exercises, including push-ups, are very beneficial to personal health. Many Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based fitness trainers are developed based on human pose estimation models or assisted by Internet of Things (IoT) devices. However, many of them require access to a graphing processing unit (GPU) for model training or IoT sensors to deploy, less accessible for individuals. In our work, we designed and prototyped real-time mobile push-up detectors using three distinctive approaches: (1) Push-up pose classification, (2) Angle-heuristic estimation and (3) Optical flow detection. We trained our deep-learning model with over 2000 images to achieve a high accuracy for real time deployment. Models are tested on our video dataset applied data augmentation techniques to simulate real-world environmental conditions to evaluate model performance based on accuracy metrics (precision, recall, F1 score) and processing frame rate (FPS). From the results, we concluded that the angle-heuristic estimation method has the best overall performance and we analysed the reasons for the relatively poorer performance of the push-up pose classification and optical flow detection methods. All methods developed are capable of working on mobile devices without the need of GPU or IoT sensors.
- PublicationMetadata onlyHuman-generative AI collaborative problem solving who leads and how students perceive the interactions(IEEE, 2024)This research investigates distinct human-generative AI collaboration types and students’ interaction experiences when collaborating with generative AI (i.e., ChatGPT) for problem-solving tasks and how these factors relate to students’ sense of agency and perceived collaborative problem solving. By analyzing the surveys and reflections of 79 undergraduate students, we identified three human-generative AI collaboration types: even contribution, human leads, and AI leads. Notably, our study shows that 77.21% of students perceived they led or had even contributed to collaborative problem-solving when collaborating with ChatGPT. On the other hand, 15.19% of the human participants indicated that the collaborations were led by ChatGPT, indicating a potential tendency for students to rely on ChatGPT. Furthermore, 67.09% of students perceived their interaction experiences with ChatGPT to be positive or mixed. We also found a positive correlation between positive interaction experience and a sense of positive agency. The results of this study contribute to our understanding of the collaboration between students and generative AI and highlight the need to study further why some students let ChatGPT lead collaborative problem-solving and how to enhance their interaction experience through curriculum and technology design.
- PublicationOpen AccessAn investigation on the effects of different types of odours on stress level of high school students when studying(Elsevier, 2024)In view of the mental health issues among adolescents in Singapore, aromatherapy is proposed to mitigate their stress level when studying. An experiment was conducted both in the classroom and home setting, to test the effectiveness of the give odours, lavender, rosemary, ylang-ylang, lemon and bergamot on reducing stress level, using the no odour scenario as control. Objective data (SpO2, heart rate and stress score) is collected using the HUAWEI Band 6 smartwatch. Subjective data was self-reported by the participants through Google forms, rating their emotional health on a 10-point scale and elaborating in prose. It was found that the anti-anxiety effects of the stimulants (lemon, bergamot, rosemary) were much larger than that of the sedatives (lavender, ylang-ylang). In particular, lemon showed the best objective anxiolytic effect, while bergamot was the best in terms of self-perceived effect. Rosemary relieved stress through raising productivity, but some effects of overworking were observed. On the other hand, ylang-ylang showed inconsistent effects, while lavender was not suitable to relieve stress when studying.
- PublicationOpen Access“Comfort women”: New research from Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia(Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, 2024)In this transcription of a webinar from October 2023, speakers Kevin Blackburn (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore), Katharine McGregor (University of Melbourne, Australia), and Sachiyo Tsukamoto (University of Newcastle, Australia) talk about their new books on the “comfort women.”
- PublicationEmbargoSingle-leg squat postural sway reliability: How many trials to analyze for chronic low back pain?(World Scientific, 2024)When examining postural sway measures of single-leg squat (SLS), there is a lack of consensus on how many trials are required to obtain reliable and clinically relevant data. Forty adults with chronic low back pain performed five consecutive trials of SLS for each side on a portable force plate. The left and right sides were categorized into problem and non-problem sides by Clinical Pilates assessment. SLS performance was characterized by terminal knee flexion angle, squat duration, peak vertical force and postural sway parameters. Data across five trials were first examined with repeated measures analysis of variance; variables with significant differences were further analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Using all trials as a reference, the reliability of other trial combinations was assessed to examine the potential effects of learning (2-5 squats, 3-5 squats, 4-5 squats), fatigue (1-2 squats, 1-3 squats, 1-4 squats) and steady-state (2-4 squats). For the non-problem side, postural sway measures were highly reliable (ICC ≥ 0.9) regardless of the number of trials analyzed. For the problem side, analyzing the 1-4 squats combination offered consistently reliable results across all postural measures (ICC ≥ 0.72). Thus, it is recommended to analyze the first four consecutive trials to obtain reliable postural sway measures.
- PublicationOpen AccessExamining ‘STEM education as culture’ through an analysis of lesson plans as cultural apparatus(Brill, 2024)This article presents findings from the document analysis of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) lesson plans written and enacted in Southeast Asian classrooms aimed at providing integrative learning experiences for students. The authors argue that the culture of STEM education is embodied in teacher-designed STEM lesson plans or cultural apparatuses. The authors applied Sewell’s theory of culture to unpack the cultural embodiments (physical and abstract elements) embedded in six STEM lesson plans comprising lesson schedules, worksheets, and handouts. The findings showed that certain categories of culture were more evident in specific components of a STEM lesson package. The article contributes to the relatively nascent literature that, to date, has not closely examined teacher-designed integrated STEM curricula using a cultural lens. The study also has implications for STEM teachers to consider making cultural embodiments and practices more visible during their lesson planning and framing of STEM curriculum.
- PublicationOpen AccessEffects of replacing sedentary time with alterations in physical activity or sleep on mood states in Chinese young adults during the pandemic(Springer, 2024)
Background Poor mood states pose the most frequent mental health, creating a considerable burden to global public health. Sedentary behavior is an essential factor affecting mood states, however, previous measures to reduce sedentary time in Chinese young adults have focused only on increasing physical activity (PA). Sedentary, PA, and sleep make up a person’s day from the standpoint of time use. It is not known whether reallocating sedentary time to different types of PA (e.g. daily PA and structured PA) or sleep during an epidemic has an effect on mood states. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between replacing sedentary time with different types of PA or sleep during the pandemic and the mood states of Chinese young adults and to further examine whether this association varies across sleep populations and units of replacement time.
Method
3,579 young adults aged 18 to 25 years living in China and self-isolating at home during the COVID-19 outbreak were invited to complete an online questionnaire between February from 23 to 29, 2020. Subjects’ PA, sedentary time, and mood states were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and the Chinese version of the Profile of Mood States, respectively. Participants also reported sleep duration and some sociodemographic characteristics. Participants were divided into short sleepers (< 7 h/d), normal sleepers (7–9 h/d), and long sleepers (> 9 h/d) based upon their reported sleep duration. Relevant data were analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis and isotemporal substitution model (ISM).Results
Sedentary time was negatively associated with mood states in Chinese young adults during the pandemic (r = 0.140) and correlated strongest among short sleepers (r = 0.203). Substitution of sedentary time with structured PA was associated with good mood states (β=-0.28, 95% CI: -0.49, -0.08). Additionally, substituting sedentary time with daily PA (e.g. occupational PA, household PA) was also associated with good mood states among normal sleepers (β=-0.24, 95% CI: -0.46, -0.02). The substitution of sedentary time with sleep could bring mood benefits (β=-0.35, 95% CI: -0.47, -0.23). This benefit was particularly prominent among short sleepers. Furthermore, for long sleepers, replacing sedentary time with sleep time also resulted in significant mood benefits (β=-0.41, 95% CI: -0.69, -0.12). The longer the duration of replacing sedentary behavior with different types of PA or sleep, the greater the mood benefits.Conclusions
A reallocation of as little as 10 min/day of sedentary time to different types of PA or sleep is beneficial for the mood states of young adults. The longer the reallocation, the greater the benefit. Our results demonstrate a feasible and practical behavior alternative for improving mood states of Chinese young adults. - PublicationOpen AccessCorrelates of burnout and dropout intentions in medical students: A cross-sectional study(Elsevier, 2024)
Background Burnout is a pervasive issue among medical students, exhibiting a high prevalence that jeopardizes their academic success and may also predispose them to more severe affective disorders such as depression. This study aims to explore the complex relationships between psychological capital (PsyCap), general social support, educational satisfaction, and burnout, and how these factors collectively influence dropout intentions.
Methods
A non-probabilistic convenience sample was collected through an online survey from first- and second-year medical students at a Faculty of Medicine in Portugal. The survey employed psychometric instruments to measure burnout (BAT-12), social support (F-SozU K-6), PsyCap (CPC-12R), satisfaction with education, and dropout intentions (Screening Instrument for Students At-Risk of Dropping Out). Structural equation modeling was applied to analyze the data from 351 participants.Results
The model demonstrated a significant positive association between burnout and dropout intentions ( = 0.37; p < 0.001), underscoring burnout as a direct correlate of dropout intentions alongside educational satisfaction ( = −0.25; p = 0.003) and PsyCap ( = −0.22; p = 0.005). Higher social support is associated with reduced burnout ( = −0.28; p < 0.001) and increased educational satisfaction ( = 0.22; p = 0.002).Limitations
The non-probabilistic sampling method prevents the generalization of the findings. The cross-sectional data do not permit the inference of temporal relationships between the studied variables.Conclusions
These findings emphasize the importance that burnout may have on dropout intentions, and contribute to the understanding of affective syndromes such as burnout in educational settings. - PublicationMetadata onlyOperando facet control of hydrophobic iron nitride nano-coral for surface protection via field-modulated plasma strategy(Elsevier, 2024)A facile facet reconfiguration has been considered as an essential issue for nitride coating in promoting surface protection behaviour. Compared to physical-chemical methods to achieve heterogeneous coating, plasma nitridation strategy is regarded as a favourable technique to in-situ deliver nitride protecting layer, but it is difficult to precisely control surface framework through plasma technique due to complicated interaction environment. To simply achieve nitride coating with favourable surface protection behaviour, we design a novel auxiliary insulator-confined plasma system to directly achieve hydrophobic iron nitride nano-coral (hFeNC) with desirable corrosion- and wear-resistant properties by controlling surface heating process during plasma nitridation. The resultant hFeNC nano-framework delivers corrosion rate of 1.2 mpy, 4- and 9-times lower than that of solid iron nitride film (sFeN) via normal plasma and initial Fe in NaCl condition, respectively. Operando plasma diagnostics along with numerical simulation further confirm the effect of surface heating on typical plasma parameters as well as the iron nitride nano-frameworks, indicating surface heating as the key factor responsible for the favourable surface protection coating.
- PublicationMetadata onlyMotivating students using autonomy-supportive instructions: A pilot study(Taylor & Francis, 2024)All responsible educators strive to create the most positive climate in their classrooms and to provide their students with the most positive learning experiences. However, they may not always know what to say and do to be most motivating. Grounded in the Self-Determination Theory, this study examined the effect of autonomy-supportive instructional behaviours, operationalised as “conveying choice”, “taking students’ perspective”, and “providing meaningful rationale” on students’ learning experiences. A senior school-teacher volunteered to implement the instructional behaviours in her three intact biology classes for five weeks. From her classes, 14 students (all female, 15 years old) participated in focus group discussions to share about their experiences in the teacher’s classes. The interview transcripts were then content-analysed for common themes. Qualitative accounts showed that the students did notice their teacher making deliberate attempts at “conveying choice” and “taking students’ perspective” with “providing meaning rationale” being less evident. There was evidence to suggest that the teacher’s instructions could encourage more autonomous form of learning and have positive influences on the students’ learning experiences. The findings also surface some challenges faced by the teacher and students; which provide valuable insights for educators keen to adopt this autonomy-supportive way of teaching in their classrooms.