Liu, Woon Chia

This paper, using the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as the underpinning framework, examines student teachers’ basic psychological needs, their subjective experience and their perceived teaching competence during practicum. It attempted to establish whether there were distinct groups of student teachers with different needs satisfaction, and how their levels of needs satisfaction were related to the groups’ subjective experience and perceived teaching competence. Quantitative data were collected. Data were analysed using cluster analysis and MANOVA. Overall, the results suggest that SDT can be effectively utilized as a framework for looking at how needs satisfaction is related to student teachers’ subjective experiences and perceived competence in teaching during practicum. The findings from this study are useful in providing evidence for teacher educators to strengthen their practicum model and plan mentoring workshops. The findings also provide much-needed insights into groups of student teachers that may need more support during practicum. Finally, the findings may help mentors understand their mentees better.

Adolescence is a critical period in the study of physical activity (PA). Research evidence has shown that there is a decline in participation in P A in young people over their teenage years with ages 11 to 12 thought to be a critical age period at which PA begins to diminish. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between students' perceived autonomy support, behavioural regulations, and enjoyment in a physical education (PE) context, using a selfdetermination theory framework. Participants were 1854 secondary school students aged between 13 and 19 years from Singapore. Questionnaires were used to access perceived autonomy support, behavioural regulations, and enjoyment in PE. Results showed that perceived autonomy support predicted more self-determined forms of behavioural regulations in PE (intrinsic and identified) positively and negatively predicted more controlling forms of regulations (external and amotivation). Only intrinsic motivation positively predicted enjoyment. On the other hand, amotivation negatively predicted enjoyment. The findings highlight the importance of perceived autonomy support in fostering more self-determined forms of behavioural regulations and intrinsic motivation in school PE.

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an inquiry-based approach to learning that requires students to be engaged with a real-world problem. PBL is underpinned by constructivist learning principles whereby learners will be intrinsically motivated as they are challenged and given autonomy to direct their own learning. In the COVID-19 pandemic teaching and learning landscape, there is an increasing need to harness the affordances of technology to engage students in their learning. In this chapter, preservice teachers are immersed in either a traditional PBL environment (tPBL) or an technology-enhanced PBL environment (ePBL). The focus of this study is to examine the effects of PBL (tPBL and ePBL) on preservice teachers’ motivational orientations. The understanding of the changes in preservice teachers’ motivational orientations after PBL (tPBL and ePBL) will inform teacher educators on how to improve on its implementation to enhance preservice teachers’ motivation to learn. An understanding of how a constructivist pedagogical approach impact on preservice teachers’ motivation to learn is pivotal as teachers role model and design learning environment to inculcate in their learners the motivation and passion to learn and become lifelong learners.

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.

In this study, we qualitatively explore how teachers perceive the usefulness of teacher autonomy support in fostering student motivation and engagement. Seven science and mathematics teachers from Singapore secondary schools were gathered for semi-structured interviews after implementing teacher autonomy support in their respective classrooms. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data using the concepts pre-conceived from literature. The findings herein suggest that teachers perceived the usefulness of teacher autonomy support on student psychological needs satisfaction, and ultimately motivation and engagement (behavioural, emotional, cognitive). The findings have two implications: (1) teachers internalise the value of autonomy support in student motivation and engagement and (2) teachers perceive each autonomy-supportive strategy in a distinct manner, in terms of its contribution to dimensions of student engagement. It is then recommended for future teacher autonomy support workshop not only to teach the strategies, but also to highlight each strategy’s usefulness in different student and classroom situations.

The purposes of this study were to validate the Physical Self-Description Questionnaire (PSDQ-S) and examine the physical self-description profiles using Latent Profile Analysis with a Chinese sample. A total of 744 secondary school students in China took part in the study. While the results provided support for internal reliability and discriminant validity of the PSDQ-S, they indicated that convergent validity required further testing. In addition, three distinct profiles were identified with unique physical self-concept and different levels of physical activity participation. The study showed that the PDSQ-S is useful in differentiating groups of adolescents with different levels of physical self-concept.

In Nov 2002, a research team in the National Institute of Education, NTU, launched a cross-discipline quasi-experimental study on “Positive Social Climate for Enhancing Students’ Math Self-concept”. Its main objective is to find the attributes (variables) in the social climate which are accountable for the increase of self-concept of Secondary Two students in the Math remedial classes in Singapore neighbourhood schools. Phase One of this study is Instrumentation: validating the scales used in the measurement of treatment effect. Phase Two is Intervention: the teachers’ / tutors’ interactions with students, the enhancement of students’ capabilities and confidence. These teachers / tutors will attend workshops conducted before the intervention in Phrase Two. The Pretest results will help identify students with high or low Math Self-concept. And the Posttest will help measure the effect of invention on these students’ Math Self-concept. Factors contributed to the significant changes will also be explored. H.W. Marsh’s Self-Description Questionnaire (SDQ-II, 1990) and B. Fraser’s “What is happening in this Class?” questionnaire were validated together with the Motivational Orientation scale and Intellectual Achievement Responsibility (IAR) questionnaire in Phase One. More than 700 Secondary Two students from four neighbourhood schools took part in the survey. Some preliminary findings in Phase One of this study will be presented in this paper. Gender and course differences in Math Self-concept and other variables will also be discussed.

The purpose of the research was to examine the prevalence and interrelationships between sedentary and physical activity behaviors, and psychological determinants of physical activity among Singaporean school children. A sample of 1935 children aged 10 to 14 years, took part in the study. In Study 1 (N=780), physical activity and sedentary behaviors were assessed using a 7-day physical activity recall method. Three distinct clusters were found for each sex using cluster analysis. Thirty six percent of the boys spent much of their sedentary time in technology based entertainment (e.g., computer/internet), and 38% of them reported substantial amount of time spent studying and doing homework. The rest of the boys spent their time being physically active but they were also substantially engaged in playing video games. Among the girls, time spent socializing with friends, studying, and engaging in physical activity amounted to 57.3%. Fifteen percent of the girls reported spending much of their time studying and doing homework. A group of girls (27.8%) reported little study time, little socialization, and low engagement in physical activity compared to their peers. In Study 2 (N =1155), three clusters were found using sport ability beliefs, perceived autonomy, and perceived competence as clustering variables. The amount of physical activity that the children took part in was influenced by their perceptions of competence, sport ability, and autonomy. The findings of the research showed that physical activity and sedentary behaviors were not inversely related. In addition, the studies confirmed that certain psychological determinants were important for examining the physical activity behaviors of Singaporean school children.