Quek, Choon Lang

Engagement is positively correlated with many educational outcomes. However, engaging learners in online learning is often challenging. In this study, a conceptual framework comprising five interrelated factors (instructors, learners, content, technology, and environments) was proposed. The purpose of the study was to explore how learners could be engaged by following the conceptual framework in synchronous online learning. Fifty-five adult learners took part in the study. Specific strategies were applied in four classes. A survey with 38 five-point Likert scale items and an open-ended question was administered. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analysed. Results showed that instructors, learners, and content were the core factors affecting learners’ engagement. Comparatively, the learners’ engagement was less affected by the factors of technology and environments. Results further showed that useful strategies to engage learners included providing opportunities for instructors and peers to interact frequently; having relevant content that could apply to practice; involving interactive activities like group discussions and peer feedback; and having informal conversations with individual learners. This study suggests that future studies can investigate facilitating synchronous online discussions, establishing social connectedness, and using technology to monitor learners’ engagement automatically.

In the primary school classrooms, students spend almost three terms (20-25 hours) doing project work in groups o f P 5 . In order for any learning task to be conducted effectively, the students need to know how to work collaboratively in their groups, and teachers need to find out how their students perceive one another while working in their groups. This will in turn help teachers help their students build the interdependence and team spirit needed to develop the correct attitude towards project work. The objectives of this study are to assist teachers to better understand how their students collaborate with one another in their groups, and to suggest strategies to enhance students' collaboration in the classroom. Using one of the standard learning environment instruments, the My Class Inventory (MCI), this study assesses students' perceptions of their actual and preferred learning environments. This paper reports the results and gives suggestions on how the results can be used to assist in developing appropriate strategies to enhance collaboration in project work classrooms.

This study examines the influence of both student and teacher perception of the student-teacher relationship on student's attitude towards teachers and school. It also seeks to explore any gender differences in the perception of teacher-student relationship between male and female adolescents. A sample of 1,266 students (541 girls and 725 boys) from six different middle schools in Singapore participated in this study. Findings indicated that gender differences were observed for certain dimensions in the teacher-student relationship predicting their attitude towards teachers and school. Possible explanations for the obtained results were suggested and implications of the findings were also discussed.

This online collaborative project enhances the traditional face-to-face teaching and learning in a typical classroom. It provides an avenue for innovative teaching and learning in the borderless world between Singapore and German secondary schools. Using this cross-cultural context, the project focused on two parts. In the first part, the students from both countries learnt the project skills of argumentative writing, researching on genetically modified food and its related issues. They also learnt to work in collaborative groups in the planning of debate with their overseas counterparts. In the second part, the students engaged in the debate culminating in a "live" exchange using Microsoft Network (MSN) Chat. The local sample consisted of 32 students (aged 13-14)from one class in a typical Singapore high school, while the German sample consisted of 16 students (aged 15-16)from one class in a high school in Neustadt i.H., Germany. The students' responses in this online learning approach were analysed qualitatively. A teachers' resource file was written and a website recording of the exchanges was created. The implications and key learning points of this project will also be discussed in this paper.

Beginning teacher classroom management practices require a conscientious attempt to link theory to application in actual classrooms. In reality, however, a gap has been observed between theory and practice in the classroom management of beginning teachers. This chapter presents research on the development and application of an online resource, a multi-modal platform of ‘case-stories’ of beginning teachers in Singapore. A proposed model of Wiki case-based learning (CBL) was conceptualised by adapting Kirschner’s framework of pedagogical, social and technical aspects for use in Singapore teacher education. Preliminary findings and potential future work are presented from the teachers’ point of view.

Recent literature has emphasised active and learner-centred learning as opposed to passive and didactic methods of learning. The term "engaged learning" is often used synonymously with active learning, self-directed learning, collaborative learning and other similar canstructivist pedagogics. In this paper, we will track how Singapore's education system has advancedfrorn certain key initiatives in recent years to the next lap of embracing the engaged learning paradigm. We propose a definition and some indicators of engaged learning that are relevant to the Singapore context and advance a framework for bringing about engaged learning. In particular, the Instructional Science Academic Group of the National Institute of Education (NIE) will be developing a programme based on this framework of engaged learning for preservice and in-service teacher education and professional development. While this framework is conceptualised for teacher education and professional development, its components provide the basis for classroom teachers and administrators to design and implement effective instructional programmes that promote engaged learning in Singapore schools.

As more education systems integrate mandatory computational thinking (CT) classes into their curricula, understanding how the public perceives this issue is an important step in making educational policies and implementing educational reform. In this paper, we retrieved all accessible texts related to K-12 CT education on the Quora platform. The textual data obtained ranged from June 2010 to September 2022. We then performed topic modeling analysis to identify major topics and uncover meaningful themes of the public responses to CT education initiatives. In general, people expressed positive comments about CT education. However, they were still concerned about the difficulties in learning and education equality for disadvantaged groups. In addition, since CT practices develop students' essential skills in the job market, people may overestimate the outcomes of CT education. Our findings provide insights into public perceptions of children’s CT education. The results of this study can facilitate education policymaking, curriculum design, and further research directions.

Computer mediated communication (CMC) tools have marched into schools to provide borderless teaching and learning to complement existing face-to-face interactions. This article describes how teachers have used CMC to facilitate asynchronous online communication among students' collaborative project groups in project-based classrooms. Secondary school teachers used the CMC tool to facilitate and manage students' learning in terms of brainstorming and challenging student ideas, building resources, and working collaboratively to complete group projects.

This study investigates how 15 Design & Technology (D&T) students (aged 15 years) participated in three stages of the design process in a technology mediated environment. The three stages are named Situation, Ideation and Development. The learning process is mediated by Knowledge Forum (KF), an asynchronous online discussion tool. The students’ online messages and participation were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively using a self developed coding scheme. Findings showed that discussions among students were not evident in the Situation stage but were evident in the Ideation and Development stages. Participation levels from one of the three groups of students in the three design stages were very different from the other two groups. Generally, a relatively high level of in depth information processing as compared to surface level of information processing was observed in the three design stages.