NIE Data Repository (National Institute of Education)
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Related Data for Thesis/Dissertation: "Working at it": The perceptions of general education and resource teachers on supporting students with hearing loss in the mainstream classrooms in Singapore
No full textThis study examined the perspectives of general education and resource teachers regarding the educational inclusion of students with hearing loss. The study sample consisted of 14 teachers (7 general education and 7 resource teachers) who were purposively selected from a resourced secondary school in Singapore. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with all teachers and data collected were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. The results outlined several inclusive practices implemented in mainstream classrooms. Findings from this study also revealed an overall positive attitude towards teaching students with
hearing loss in the general education classroom. Facilitators that helped in the process of inclusion were also highlighted. They include positive attitudes and beliefs towards inclusion, support from resource teachers and training opportunities for school personnel. Study participants also perceived the presence of gaps that still need to be worked on if inclusive education programmes are to be more successful. Gaps in capacity building of school personnel, communication approaches as well as academic expectations of students with hearing loss were some highlighted areas that mainstream schools may need to consider in looking ahead. Implications for practice and future research were discussed
Related Data for: Unpacking the teachers’ multimodal pedagogies in the primary English language classroom in Singapore
No full textThe ‘multimodal turn’ has led many education systems around the world to incorporate aspects of multimodality into their language curriculum as a response to the contemporary communication environment and new literacy practices of students. In this article, we present and examine findings from a study of the enactment of multimodal pedagogies by two primary level English language teachers in Singapore. Classroom data were collected, transcribed, and analysed in this case study research. We observed eight lessons by two teachers where viewing and representing skills were taught and interviewed the teachers for their reflections on their experience. The lessons were coded in terms of the classroom practices, the knowledge focus, the types of knowledge representations present (conventional or constructed), as well as the source of the knowledge representation (i.e. whether the knowledge was teacher-constructed, student-constructed or jointly constructed by both). Our findings indicate that there was a good balance between teacher and student construction of knowledge. However, most of the knowledge represented in the lessons was factual and procedural rather than conceptual. This suggests that students had few opportunities to critically explore and challenge the knowledge taught and were not guided sufficiently to interrogate the knowledge represented. Representing skills also received less emphasis than viewing skills in the lessons. We discuss the implications of our observations on teachers’ professional learning and advance the argument on the need to pay more attention to multimodal pedagogies in literacy instruction given the incorporation of multimodality in the curricula
Related Data for: Development of new 9-ball test protocols for assessing expertise in cue sports
No full textBackground
This study aimed to develop new test protocols for evaluating 9-ball expertise levels in cue sports players.
Methods
Thirty-one male 9-ball players at different playing levels were recruited (recreational group, n = 8; university team, n = 15; national team, n = 8). A 15-ball test was administered to indicate overall performance by counting the number of balls potted. Five skill tests (power control, cue alignment, angle, back spin, and top spin) were conducted to evaluate specific techniques by calculating error distances from pre-set targets using 2D video analysis.
Results
Intra-class correlation analyses revealed excellent intra-rater and inter-rater reliability in four out of five skill tests (ICC > 0.95). Significant between-group differences were found in 15-ball test performance (p
Conclusions
In conclusion, the 9-ball test protocols were reliable and could successfully discriminate between different playing levels. Coaches and researchers may employ these protocols to identify errors, monitor training, and rank players.</p
Related Data for: Does classroom matter in bilingual students’ Chinese language achievement? A multilevel analysis of the compositional effect and person–context interactions
No full textStudents’ learning is deeply rooted in both home and school environments. This necessitates a person-and-context perspective that considers individual, home, and school factors. This study delved into second language learning, an area inherently intertwined with these settings. Utilizing hierarchical linear modeling, the study involved 2,310 fifth-grade English–Chinese bilingual students and 109 teachers across 109 classrooms in 23 Singaporean primary schools where Chinese is taught as a second language. We examined the class compositional effect of Chinese use at home on students’ Chinese language achievement and the cross-level interactions between classroom goal structures (mastery and performance goal structures) and Chinese use at home in predicting Chinese language achievement. Aggregated class-level Chinese use at home exhibited a compositional effect on students’ Chinese language achievement. Additionally, the class-level Chinese use at home strengthened the positive relation between individual students’ home language use and their achievement in Chinese. Moreover, classroom mastery goal structure demonstrated significant moderating effects on the relation between students’ Chinese use at home and Chinese language achievement. While Chinese use at home was positively related to achievement, this relation was weaker in classes with high mastery goal structure and stronger in classes with low mastery goal structure. No main effect or interaction effect concerning classroom performance goal structure was observed. These findings highlight the intricate relation between home language exposure and classroom goal structures. Being surrounded by peers who use the second language often at home may enhance second language achievement. Furthermore, mastery-focused environments may compensate for students with limited second language exposure at home
Related Data for: Trilingualism, education and ethnic language subjectivities
No full textThis study investigates the subjectivities of tertiary students in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR) of the People's Republic of China. Specifically, we investigate self-reported language practices and attitudes in relation to identities in a language ecology with three prominent languages (Zhuang, Standard Chinese [Putonghua], and English). This mixed methods study shows that despite the population size and some educational support, Zhuang language vitality is challenged through subjectivities linked to promotion of Putonghua and Zhuang specific factors (e.g. script and dialectal variations). In addition, the data show multiple interpretations of what mother tongue might mean to people in this region, including those of Zhuang ethnicity. The study leads to insights on multilingualism in this region. It also suggests that a language ecology approach is useful for understanding subjectivities as multifaceted, with multiple influences, helping us better understand why implementation of national policies or community supports on their own are insufficient for language maintenance efforts
Related Data for: Preferences for identity-first versus person-first language in a sample of university students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in Singapore
No full textPurpose
This study aimed to explore the preferred terminology (identity-first or person-first) among university students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in Singapore, specifically those with autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. We also examined demographic factors (type of SEN, gender, and years since diagnosis) associated with language preference.
Methods
The study included 115 participants (57 female, 54 male, and 4 identified as others) who were university students with SEN, and with the mean age of 23.25 years (SD = 2.62). The 115 participants comprised of 47 individuals with ADHD, 40 individuals with dyslexia, and 28 individuals with autism. As part of a larger study, participants were asked to complete a series of questionnaires online using the Qualtrics survey link. In addition, participants were asked this question: “I best identify myself as: (a) Person-first: e.g., I’m a person with ASD/ADHD/SLD, (b) Identity-first: e.g., I’m autistic/hyperactive/inattentive/dyslexic or (c) Other (please specify).
Results
Majority (about 69%) of students with SEN overall preferred using Person-first language (e.g., “person with ASD/ADHD/SLD”) and also across all three groups of SEN. Only type of SEN factor influenced the preference for identity language where students diagnosed with ADHD (89.4%) and ASD (50%) were more likely to use Person-first language. The participants’ gender and the number of years diagnosis were not associated with their identity language preference.
Conclusion
While a majority of students with SEN preferred Person-first language, it is important to recognise that a substantial number also preferred Identity-first language, and their preferences should be respected to avoid feelings of exclusion
Related Data for: What can gaze behaviors, neuroimaging data, and test scores tell us about test method effects and cognitive load in listening assessments?
No full textThe aim of this study was to investigate how test methods affect listening test takers’ performance and cognitive load. Test methods were defined and operationalized as while-listening performance (WLP) and post-listening performance (PLP) formats. To achieve the goal of the study, we examined test takers’ (N = 80) brain activity patterns (measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)), gaze behaviors (measured by eye-tracking), and listening performance (measured by test scores) across the two test methods. We found that the test takers displayed lower activity levels across brain regions supporting comprehension during the WLP tests relative to the PLP tests. Additionally, the gaze behavioral patterns exhibited during the WLP tests suggested that the test takers adopted keyword matching and “shallow listening.” Together, the neuroimaging and gaze behavioral data indicated that the WLP tests imposed a lower cognitive load on the test takers than the PLP tests. However, the test takers performed better with higher test scores for one of two WLP tests compared with the PLP tests. By incorporating eye-tracking and neuroimaging in this exploration, this study has advanced the current knowledge on cognitive load and the impact imposed by different listening test methods. To advance our knowledge of test validity, other researchers could adopt our research protocol and focus on extending the test method framework used in this study
Related Data for: Peer feedback feature analysis with large language models: An exploratory study
No full textPeer feedback is a pedagogical strategy for peer learning. Despite recent indications of Large Language Models (LLMs) ' potential for content analysis, there is limited empirical exploration of their application in supporting the peer feedback process. This study enhances the analytical approach to peer feedback activities by employing state-of-the-art LLMs for automated peer feedback feature detection. This research critically compares three models—GPT-3.5 Turbo, Gemini 1.0 Pro, and Claude 3 Sonnet—to evaluate their effectiveness in automated peer feedback feature detection. The study involved 69 engineering students from a Singapore university participating in peer feedback activities on the online platform Miro. A total of 535 peer feedback instances were collected and human-coded for eleven features, resulting in a dataset of 5,885 labeled samples. These features included various cognitive and affective dimensions, elaboration, and specificity. The results indicate that GPT-3.5 Turbo is the most effective model, offering the best combination of performance and cost-effectiveness. Gemini 1.0 Pro also presents a viable option with its higher throughput and larger context window, making it particularly suitable for educational contexts with smaller sample sizes. Conversely, Claude 3 Sonnet, despite its larger context window, is less competitive due to higher costs and lower performance, and its lack of support for training and fine-tuning with researchers' data weakens its learning capabilities. This research contributes to the fields of AI in education and peer feedback by exploring the use of LLMs for automated analysis. It highlights the feasibility of employing and fine-tuning existing LLMs to support pedagogical design and evaluations from a process-oriented perspective
Related Data for: “I'd still prefer to read the hard copy”: Adolescents’ print and digital reading habits
No full textDoes print still matter in this digital age? What is the role of technology in reading? Do adolescents who enjoy reading view the reading of print and digital material differently from those who do not enjoy reading? Drawing on survey data from 6,005 students and focus group data with 96 students across six secondary schools, the authors conducted a mixed‐methods study to examine adolescents’ print and digital reading habits in Singapore. Findings show that adolescents prefer print but move toward more online reading as they get older. Adolescents’ online reading habits are reflective of their print preferences and behavior with physical books. The authors explain how both print and technology matter to motivate adolescent reading
Related Data for: Leading from the middle: Vice-principals in Singapore as boundary spanners
No full textPurpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine leading from the middle, which is consistent with calls to distribute leadership, while expanding the direction of influence, from the normal top-down to include a bottom-up or lateral direction. The paper proposes that the position of the vice-principal enables the role incumbent to lead from the middle as a boundary spanner. The research question was what leadership from the middle looks like for vice-principals.
Design/methodology/approach
The study consisted of interviews of 28 vice-principals and 10 principals. A mixed case and theme-oriented strategy was adapted, with member checking with each vice-principal.
Findings
The findings indicate that in leading from the middle, vice-principals play boundary spanning roles of connecting, translating and brokering: (1) connecting between organisational levels, (2) translating between vision/direction and actualisation, (3) connecting between middle managers and (4) brokering and translating between the ministry and the school.
Originality/value
Leading from the middle is a nascent concept which is worth exploring, given the complexity of educational systems with multiple ecological levels, and the need for leadership to create coherence between the levels.</p