Lim-Ratnam, Christina

The phenomenon of an in-between space of learning illustrates an experienced space between post-secondary education and another kind of space out of the professional institutional context that is autonomously chosen by the student. Taking into consideration that institutional learning alone is not the only means to become a professional, this study examined alternatives to be more inclusive of learning, as individuals prepare themselves for the profession. Since this space is largely unnoticed in institutional learning, there is precious little information about how experiences in the in-between space of learning can foster professionalism. In this study, data is elucidated from the lived experience of 10 students in a higher arts education institution in Singapore. In the findings, individuals identified learning in the in-between as lifelong pursuits in self-development. The space has a social character of enjoyment and freedom. Through the in-between space of learning, these diverse learning opportunities advance a new hybrid professional identity. Involvements in community engagements also gave them a greater sense of professionalism. Arising from these findings, this study argues for the need to acknowledge an in-between space of learning that serves as a springboard to rethink more about what the arts can afford to support and improve professional learning.

This scoping review examines the landscape of educational evaluation research in Asia over the past decade, uncovering the methodologies, themes, and unique regional challenges within this domain. By delving into 62 articles from evaluation-centric journals, the study reveals a predominant focus on learning, teaching, and assessment, highlighting the importance of pedagogical methods and learning outcomes. The review also notes a significant emphasis on institutional-level evaluation, with China leading in contributions. Despite the rich insights offered, this review points to gaps in leadership and evaluation tools, suggesting areas for future exploration. Ultimately, this review aims to enrich global discussions on educational evaluation, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of Asia’s diverse and evolving educational evaluation practices.

This study attempts to explore the links between research, policy and practice. Specifically, it investigated how teachers enact a national policy on the implementation of formative assessment practices and explored what affects their capacity and will to carry out educational reform. Using a case study approach, formative assessment-related practices of six teachers within three primary schools in Singapore were examined. Findings from interviews, document analysis and classroom observations brought out how teachers reframed policy and implemented instructional practices in terms of what they knew or thought they understood of it. Policy enactment was also found to be influenced by the contextual setting as the schools also played a part in the way these teachers implemented their practices. Drawing on these findings, the study discusses issues pertinent to policy implementation and makes recommendations for policy enactment.

Flourishing is an apt concept for a kindergarten (children’s garden) curriculum where children learn, grow and blossom. A key aspect of flourishing is values education. At pre-school level, Singapore’s Ministry of Education explicated four values (respect, responsibility, honesty and care) in the 2022 national curriculum framework for pre-school education. A qualitative study that sets out to unpack what these values mean in Singapore’s multicultural context revealed interpretations of values distilled to one commonality across religious and secular perspectives – personhood. The study involved semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with government officials, religious leaders, preschool leaders and teachers and the data were analysed thematically. The findings offered insights into the ways in which personhood can be cultivated in preschool settings.

The phenomenal spread of Japanese lesson study (LS) beyond Japan is indicative of the perception that the seemingly obvious routines of LS are transferable into foreign contexts. It is, however, to be expected, that various aspects of LS would be adapted to suit the culture of the adopting context. The diverse ways in which LS is adapted across different contexts provides the opportunity for researchers to unpack what needs to be done to better adapt, implement and sustain LS to support teacher development across non-Japanese contexts. This paper is based on the findings from a nation-wide research project undertaken to explore the adaptations made to LS in Singapore schools. Surveys and case studies provided data to examine LS structure and implementation processes in Singapore schools and to investigate school leaders’ and teachers’ experiences and understandings of LS processes. In teasing out the subtle differences among the Singaporean adaptations and Japanese LS, we gleaned a deeper understanding of the cultural and contextual factors that elucidate key features of LS that are pertinent in creating the necessary conditions for effective teacher learning.

Japanese lesson study (LS), jugyu kenkyuu, is becoming an increasingly popular and important model for teacher learning and professional development (PD) worldwide. The spread of lesson study globally as well as in Singapore schools has been phenomenal. In Singapore, it was first introduced in 2004 and is now widely implemented as a tool for promoting professional learning communities (PLCs). This rapid diffusion of lesson study in many educational systems raises questions related to the quality of lesson studies practiced in schools as well as its sustainability, especially with change of school leadership. A national survey and case studies of schools implementing lesson study in Singapore have provided some insights into these issues. The hope is that lesson study will be practiced in the right spirit and substance and not be a passing fad in schools.

This report highlights the major findings of a two-year CRPP-funded intervention project in which researchers worked closely with a primary school to introduce Lesson Study as a tool for teacher learning and community building. The findings are presented through a survey study of teachers' perception of Lesson Study; two case studies of the knowledge construction and community building processes in two sampled Lesson Study teams, one in English Language and one in Mathematics and a methodological exploration that attempted to represent the instructional improvement in four mathematics research lessons from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. A video case intended to be used as a tool to support teacher development was developed to document the learning of a mathematics topic through the experience of a Lesson Study team. Its components and development process are also illustrated.

The purpose of the study was to examine the validity of an English translation of the Teacher Metacognition Inventory (TMI) originally developed by Jiang et al. Teaching and Teacher Education, 59, 403-413, (2016) in China with a sample of mathematics teacher in Singapore. A total of 436 valid responses were collected from primary and secondary female and male mathematics teachers with various degrees of experience. This inventory measures teachers’ metacognitive knowledge about self and pedagogy, regulation on planning and monitoring, reflection and experiences. Whereas the original inventory had six dimensions and 28 items, a better fit was found with seven dimensions and 26 items. The extra dimension reflected a split of Teacher Metacognitive Experiences into positive and negative ones. The seven-dimension structure had good reliability and validity. The instrument was also invariant across gender, level (i.e., primary and secondary school teachers) and years of experience. Together, the results suggest that the TMI was an effective instrument and could be used to assess teacher metacognition in educational settings or for teachers to reflect on their metacognition and metacognitive practice, as suggested by the original developers of the scale.