Koh, Caroline

This study, undertaken in Singapore, investigates aspects of students' motivation in undertaking Project Work (PW), and explores the link between motivation and the quality of students' discourse during group discussions. It uses a Self-Determination framework to answer questions on students' perceived satisfaction ofbasic psychological needs, motivation and performance outcomes. Analysis of students' discourse during PW helped to substantiate survey findings, which showed that the participating students perceived satisfaction in the need for competence and relatedness, but less in autonomy support. Furthermore, many students were extrinsically motivated in PW, appreciating its value but not necessarily finding enjoyment in the process. Students' talk during PW group discussions tended to be of the practical (problem-solving) mode and cumulative (collaborative, non-critical) type. The findings suggest that, in order to enhance motivation and task engagement, students should be encouraged to share knowledge explicitly and to make their thinking visible through discourse.

Recent advances in technology have introduced new tools to enhance learning, especially in the context of tertiary education. At the School of Engineering in Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore, simulation-based learning (SBL) has been used to improve the engagement and motivation of engineering students in Machining Technology, a sixty hour module for second year Mechatronics students. This study investigates the effect of SBL on learners' motivation in practice-based topics, such as turning, milling and sheet metal work, which have heavy reliance on technical protocols and manipulative skills. It is hypothesized that SBL, which provides learners with first-hand, interactive learning experiences, will enhance students' motivation in content-heavy subjects, such as those offered in Engineering. In our investigations, the students in the Control group received conventional instructions and workshop practice in Machining Technology, while the Experimental group had conventional instructions, workshop practice and the benefit of SBL sessions. Both groups were given an equal amount of time on the subject. We followed a framework based on the self-determination theory (SDT) in our assessment of students' motivation. A survey was ·thus conducted with both the Control and Experimental groups to explore the students' perceptions in domains such as their basic psychological needs satisfaction, motivational inclination, self-efficacy, self-regulation and outcomes of learning and involvement. This presentation will highlight interim findings from the survey procedure.

In this study, we shared findings from selected student teachers in National Institute of Education (a teacher education institution in Singapore) who have created eportfolios that presented their learning and teaching practicum experiences. The eportfolios were constructed with the aim to document their learning journey and teaching practices, and to reflect and showcase what they have achieved. Data were extracted from their eportfolio artifacts in order to seek evidence of their teacher identity formed during this process. The main research questions addressed in this paper were: ―What type of teacher identity was reflected through pre-service teachers’ use of eportfolios?‖; and ―How their teacher identity developed in different contexts over time?‖ The paper concluded that student teachers‘ identities evolved as they went through the teacher education program. Such identity constructions are never fixed, and develop under the influence of student teachers‘ surrounding contexts and experiences.

Our students today face a knowledge-based economy, which requires the ability to learn independently, to be innovative in using and synthesizing knowledge, and to adapt fast to the changing world. Project Work (PW) is introduced as one of the instructional models for a more student-centered approach of learning in Singapore. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of project work (PW) and study the motivational processes of PW using a self-determination theory (SDT) framework. A total of 435 students from Normal Academic stream (NA) and Normal Technical stream (NT) were recruited from four secondary schools in Singapore. Students‟ perceptions of the values of PW, basic psychological needs, relative autonomy, enjoyment, and grades were measured across three time points. Results showed that students valued the PW experience. However, their enjoyment, needs, and relative autonomy decreased significantly in the 10 to 12 weeks of PW experience. Multiple regression analyses revealed that post-PW enjoyment negatively predicted PW grades, while psychological needs, relative autonomy and pre-PW enjoyment positively predicted post-PW enjoyment. After 6-month PW, post-PW enjoyment emerged as a stronger predictor than grades in predicting the perceived skills learned from PW. The study applies self-determination theory to the PW context and highlights the importance of facilitating the three psychological needs in the PW context to enhance students‟ motivation and achievement in PW.

Eportfolios were introduced into teacher education in the 1980s. Since then, educational researchers and practitioners have increasingly cited the use of portfolios as an important assessment and learning tool in teacher education programs. In the domain of teacher education, the need to improve quality, attain established standards and to resolve accreditation issues have led to the increased use of ePortfolios in many European states and others around the world (Granberg, 2010). An electronic portfolio (ePortfolio) is often defined as “a digitized collection of artifacts, including demonstrations, resources and accomplishments that represent an individual, group, community, organization, or institution. This collection can comprise of text-based, graphic or multimedia elements archived on a Web site or on other electronic media (Lorenzo & Ittelson, 2005, p. 3).” In pre-service teachers’ ePortfolios, artifacts can be samples of work that include lesson plans, stimulus materials, videos, pictures and picture files, classroom assignments, classroom tests, newsletters, and inservice materials produced by the pre-service teacher (Bruneau & Bie, 2010). With the creation of ePortfolios, student teachers can document their journey in becoming a teacher by selecting, sharing, and reflecting on artifacts such as educational philosophies, classroom management plans, unit and lesson plans, plans to meet the needs of diverse and special needs pupils, and video clips of practice teaching (e.g., Strudler & Wetzel, 2005). They can not only showcase their best work as a professional, but also exhibit the knowledge and skills in using technology.

There has been extensive research on the use of the e-portfolio in a variety of contexts but few have focused on the application of the e-portfolio as a holistic pedagogical tool. The uniqueness of this study lies in its focus on the pedagogical and psychological implications of the e-portfolio in enabling learning through self-regulation and motivation. This research was timely since the use of the e-portfolio in initial teacher education programmes was one of the key recommendations of the TE21 model.

Major global crises such as the surge of terrorism and the repercussions of the economic downturn have rekindled an interest in the development of morality and the nurturing of universal values. To date, research on moral functioning has originated predominantly from Western contexts. This study aims to provide an Asian perspective to the existing models. It combines a Kohlbergian approach for the assessment of moral judgment, with a framework based on the Self-Determination Theory to assess the motivational regulations of Singaporean students. The presentation outlines the methodology used and the interim results obtained in the pilot study. The preliminary data indicate that, generally, the development of moral reasoning of the Singaporean students matches the level prescribed for their age group in Kohlberg’s theory. There is however, a need to review the way in which Moral Education is conducted in schools in order to improve students’ motivation in the subject.

A large body of Western research literature has provided extensive discussions on the development of moral values, moral education and moral reasoning in adolescents and youths. Of particular interest, are the theoretical frameworks proposed and/or debated by researchers such as Kohlberg, Gilligan, Rest Lickona and Lipman. Whereas Kohlberg is credited as the originator of the theory of moral development, purporting six stages the cognitive development of moral judgment, his epic work has been critiqued, refined and improved over the years. In Asian contexts, however, research in these areas is still at the stage of early progression and expansion. Nevertheless, values education and moral development are two pertinent aspects in the citizenship building agenda of young nations such as Singapore. This paper explores the moral development of Singaporean youths using a Kohlbergian research framework, with the aim of providing an Asian perspective to the existing model. It presents an overview of the role of moral development in the Singapore educational context, before describing the methodology used and the interim results obtained.

When Temasek Polytechnic‘s School of Engineering embarked on a research project to investigate the effects of Simulation-based learning on second year Mechatronics students, multiple qualitative and quantitative studies were carried out simultaneously. The intervention was an infusion of a suite of five Simulation-based learning (SBL) modules into the curriculum for three of five Machining Technology classes in the October 2008 semester. The individual studies highlighted the positive effects of this intervention. A model for SBL was even developed based on the results and findings of the multiple studies. This paper uses the Kirkpatrick Learning Evaluation Model as a framework to review the effectiveness of SBL for Machining Technology. Only three of the four levels of learning, namely response (Level 1), learning (Level 2) and behavior (Level 3) are involved. The results and findings of the various studies will be clustered and compared according to these levels to derive a more consolidated understanding of the effectiveness of SBL.