Yeo, Lay See

Character, citizenship, and values are areas of education that have received increasing attention in the international community. This is also the case for Singapore (Lee, 2012) with an education system guided by the student-centric, values-driven philosophy (Ministry of Education [MOE], 2011, 2012). In his speech at the 2011 MOE Work Plan Seminar, Singapore’s Minister for Education at that time, Mr. Heng Swee Keat, highlighted, “We need to develop our children holistically, in all aspects – moral, cognitive, physical, social and aesthetic or what is termed in Chinese as 德智体群美 (de zhi ti qun mei)” (MOE, 2011, para. 16) and that, “… between academic achievement and values, it must not be “either/or”. We should strive to achieve both” (MOE, 2011, para. 53).
An important out-of-classroom experience recognised to play an important role in holistic development, character building, and 21st century skills and competencies is co-curricular activities (CCAs; Chong-Mok, 2010; MOE, 2010, 2011; Schwarz & Stolow, 2006). In Singapore, CCAs are an integral part of school curriculum and proposed to offer an authentic platform for (a) development of moral values, (b) acquisition and practice of soft skills, (c) social integration of children from differing backgrounds and ethnicities, (d) provision of safe learning environment, (e) opportunities for character and leadership development, and (f) lifelong pursuit of interests and greater outward expression (Chong-Mok, 2010; MOE, 2011). While participation in CCAs during primary education is not compulsory, CCAs are emphasized in secondary schools and categorized into Core (or Main) and Merit (or Secondary/Optional) CCAs. Core CCAs are mandatory for all students, whereas Merit CCAs are offered as an option for students with an interest in a particular CCA area. In both primary and secondary levels, the range of CCAs offered is categorized into four major groups: Physical Sports, Uniformed Groups, Visual and Performing Arts, and Clubs and Societies. With the increased investment in CCAs in Singapore schools (MOE, 2011, 2012), there is a priority to examine the potential impacts of CCAs on the holistic development of Singaporean students. This study was a timely response to this call.

Participation in school-organized co-curricular activities (CCAs) provides opportunities for youth to develop their interests, talents, and abilities. However, would students still reap the benefits of CCA if their participation is not voluntary? This study, conducted in Singapore schools where CCA is mandatory, investigated the impact of CCA on adolescent adjustment and factors which predict developmental outcomes. Self-determination theory (SDT) provided the theoretical basis for this study. Based on a survey research design, the study investigated the role of the quantity (i.e., breadth, duration, and intensity) and quality (i.e., motivation) of CCA participation on developmental outcomes (i.e., school belonging, lifelong learning, communication skill, confidence, and teamwork). It profiled the relationship between background variables (i.e., gender, stream, and grade) and the type of CCA undertaken by 1,190 Singaporean secondary school students, aged 12 to 19. Students completed a set of questionnaires twice over an academic year. After controlling for background variables, CCA types, and quantitative indicators of CCA participation, autonomous motivation in CCA participation positively predicted all the developmental outcomes in both the cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Results supported SDT and highlighted the crucial role of autonomous motivation in predicting youth developmental outcomes. Implications for CCA participation that will lead to beneficial outcomes for students were discussed.

The purpose of the research is to examine the perceptions of primary school educators toward inclusive education in Singapore. The research study seeks to provide an understanding of inclusion as it is practiced in Singapore primary schools. It examines the features of inclusion and its implementation, the experience of primary school teachers, perceived barriers and facilitators of inclusion, and the benefits and disadvantages of inclusion.

The study aims to provide an insider perspective of inclusion in Singapore primary schools. Two hundred educators were interviewed about their perceptions and experiences of inclusion. Findings shed light on the definition and implementation of inclusion, teachers’ personal experience, perceived barriers to and facilitators of to inclusion, and its advantages and disadvantages. Inclusion as currently practised in Singapore is an integration pull-out model. Teachers shared slightly more negative than positive experiences and provided valuable insights into the challenges and rewards of inclusion. Teacher attitude, a critical factor for successful inclusion, is related to perceived school support. More than training, teachers need to experience success. There are implications for school leadership, training, class allocation for special needs, and assessment.

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.

Studies on activities to ease children’s transition to school have been conducted in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the United States during the last 20 years (e.g., Dunlop & Fabian, 2003; Fabian & Dunlop, 2002; Kagan & Newman, 1998; Perry, Dockett, & Howard, 2000; Richardson, 1997). There has, however, been very little published research on this topic in Singapore except for two preschool studies reported by Clarke and Sharpe (2003). The purpose of the present study was to identify factors relating to successful transition to school in Singapore and to develop procedures and materials to support this process. The study was conducted in two phases, with two cohorts of Primary One (P1) students. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected via observations, questionnaires, focus group discussions, individual interviews with the pupils, their parents and teachers, and end-of-year school assessment results. Very few children experienced difficulties settling into school. The parents in the second cohort expressed fewer concerns about insufficient communication with teachers, suggesting that the new initiatives to increase two-way home-school communication had been effective. Parents and children were also very happy with the use of P5 buddies during the first week in school.

This paper describes a preschool inclusion initiative in Singapore, which currently has no mandate for integrating children with special needs in mainstream schools. This very small-scale qualitative study involving children with mild learning disabilities discusses a therapy outreach programme by a local children’s hospital. It explores the supports and challenges of this experience based on interviews with therapists, teachers, principals, and parents. Facilitators of inclusion included communication, collaboration, availability of training and resources, and a readiness for inclusion. Barriers to inclusion included person-related hindrances, structural obstacles, gaps in program delivery, and limited specialized training and resources. We learned that in the absence of mandatory provisions for inclusion, children with special needs can be supported in regular education when there is “buy in” for early inclusion and intervention amongst key stakeholders. Practical strategies toward this end are discussed.

Under Singapore’s inclusive education policy, children with mild physical disabilities are integrated into mainstream schools. There is currently no known published research yet in Singapore on the outcomes of inclusion for children with physical disabilities. Internationally, recent research had compared the school experience of children with physical disabilities to that of their typically developing peers. This study examined the social and academic impact of educational inclusion for children with physical disabilities. It investigated how their participation in school activities, academic performance, self-esteem, peer relationships, and social/emotional development compared to that of typically developing schoolmates. A total of 60 clients (n = 30 with physical disability; n = 30 typically developing students; age range = 8 to 16 years) in a local primary and secondary regular school participated in the study. The children with physical disabilities met academic expectations in school and had comparable levels of self-esteem, but experienced peer problems and participated less in school activities. Understanding children’s overall school experience is critical to becoming an inclusive society that enables children with a range of disabilities to benefit academically and socially. Implications for practice and future research were discussed.