Wong, Hwei Ming

This study investigated the effects of project work on learning and teaching in a primary school in Singapore. Students in three Primary 5 classes worked together on an inter-disciplinary project work in Term 2 and Term 3. A total of 109 students consisting of 37 from EM 1 class, 36 from EM 1/2 class and 36 from EM 2 class participated in the study. In each class, the students were randomly assigned into groups of five. Data was collected using a Project Work Questionnaire consisting of 40 items in which the students reported their perceptions of achievements in the four domains of Cooperation/ Collaboration (10 items), Communication (10 items), Knowledge Application (10 items) and Independent Learning (10 items). These 40 items were selected based on reliability estimates. The reliability estimates for each of the domains ranged from 0.71 to 0.77.

The results show that the students from the three classes perceived themselves to have gained in the four domains. Class composition had an impact on student achievement. The students from the more heterogeneous EM 1/2 class whose composition were make up of high-ability and average-ability students showed higher achievement than the other two more homogeneous classes which were make up of only high-ability students and only average-ability students respectively. Through project work, the teachers saw themselves as more of a facilitator and a resource person rather than one dictating to the students. As a result, the teachers also became more aware of the students' capabilities and needs.

Since the launch of the Thinking Schools, Learning Nation (1997) and Teach Less, Learn More (2004) initiatives, the CORE Research Programme has aimed to provide a systemic description and measurement of curriculum and reform initiatives. CORE 1 (2004-2007) focused on lesson observations and surveys in English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Mother Tongue classrooms at the Primary 5 and Secondary 3 levels. The study however, was unable to examine specific classroom pedagogical and assessment practices centred on epistemic, cognitive, metacognitive, disciplinary and domain-specific intellectual work. CORE 2 (2009-2014) focused on pedagogical beliefs and practices, classroom practices and assessment practices (Hogan, Towndrow, Kwek, & Chan, 2013). Currently, CORE 3 is centrally focused on the questions: “How do teachers teach?”and“Why do they teach the way they do?” The project in focus is a baseline investigation of science pedagogy (2015-16).

Assessment in Singapore has generally been summative in nature, placing much emphasis on high-stakes examinations as one of the defining pillars of the Singapore education system. In a rapidly changing and globalising world, the Ministry of Education has been changing its assessment mode to include alternative and formative assessments for learning in order to shift away from the examination-oriented mind-set and make more room for creativity and critical thinking. Self-assessment and feedback as part of strategies for assessment for learning will engage students to deliberately reflect on what they are learning and how they are learning it while they utilise the feedback from teachers to enrich their understandings of their own learning and improve their performance.