Loh, Chin Ee

In this editorial to the special issue on the future of volitional reading, the editors explain the significance of volitional reading, both in school and out-of-school settings, for children and adolescents’ reading proficiency, student engagement and learning, and wellbeing. They offer an overview of the seven articles in the collection, highlighting the key themes of content, choice and community involvement when it comes to encouraging engaged reading. New ways of researching reading are also shared. As a collection, the special issue highlights the range and complexity of young people’s reading practices and encourages scholars, policymakers and educators to consider new ways of framing research and practice.

While there is increasing recognition of the role of learning environments for teaching and learning, research on teachers' spatial competency is lacking. Drawing on an in-depth case study approach, this study examined the impact of a professional learning and action research pilot program to enhance teachers' spatial competency in one government secondary school in Singapore. Findings showed that professional learning can improve teacher knowledge, self-efficacy and mind frames towards more agentic and intentional space usage for teaching and learning. This study makes explicit connections about how a multi-layered professional learning program can support the development of teachers’ spatial competency.

In a constantly shifting world of increasing literacy expectations, technological advancements and global flows, school libraries as learning hubs are crucial to support students’ reading and learning. Following an earlier study documenting the positive impact of well-designed and stocked school libraries on students’ reading, the research team, with the support of CPDD, MOE and the three schools in the study, embarked on a library redesign project from 2019 to 2020. An ERPF grant, DEV02-20 Designing School Libraries of the Future, awarded to the research team, allowed the team to document the redesign process and study the impact of library redesign at the three Library of the Future (LOTF) prototype schools for one full year each between 2022 and 2023.

A key emphasis of the Singapore education system has been on ensuring English language competency and fluency for communication and work. This chapter examines reading innovation in the Singapore education system, focusing specifically on strategies related to extensive reading to promote reading enjoyment alongside growing reading proficiency. Rather than adopting a broad historical overview, three case studies that are substantiated by published research have been selected for discussion in this chapter: (i) the implementation of the Reading and English Acquisition Programme (REAP) from 1985 to 1989 for students from Primary One to Three; (ii) the development of the Strategies for English Language Learning and Reading (STELLAR) programme for primary schools from 2006 to 2015; and (iii) the focus on reading and school libraries in the Building a Reading Culture (BRC) and library redesign projects at the secondary level from 2017 to 2020. The chapter documents how reading innovations have taken place at the levels of curriculum, pedagogy and learning environments, in response to sociocultural and economic changes, global and local demands and the educational needs of the times. Challenges to improve students’ educational outcomes for their reading futures are discussed in the conclusion.

Research shows that school libraries have a positive impact on student literacy and learning, as it encourages reading. This exploratory mixed-methods case study focuses on what and how Singapore children in one primary school read, and their reading behaviours in their school library. Data was collected through library observations, focus groups and interviews. Findings showed that lower primary and upper primary students have different reading interests and behave differently in school libraries. It is recommended that the library collection and design of space cater to the different needs of lower and upper primary students.