NIE Data Repository (National Institute of Education)
Not a member yet
317 research outputs found
Sort by
Related Data for: Professional development in coding and computational thinking for mathematics teachers
No full textSince 2006, computational thinking (CT) has been popularised as a critical interdisciplinary skill and linked to mathematical thinking, solidifying its applicability in mathematics education. Singapore has actively introduced CT in its mathematics curriculum and provided professional development (PD) opportunities for mathematics teachers to develop their competencies in incorporating CT in mathematics classrooms. However, research examining how and whether such PD prepares educators to teach mathematics using CT is scarce. The study fills this gap by examining how a PD course that introduces the VBA coding language in Microsoft Excel for computational problem solving develops mathematics educators’ coding skills and CT, and how participating in-service teachers perceive the course with regards to learning coding. Qualitative analysis of the course design revealed that the course materials are capable of helping learners develop CT through instilling in them certain coding habits, while qualitative and quantitative analysis of Likertscale and open-ended responses in the course feedback highlighted many strengths and suggested areas for improvement in various aspects of the course, like course structure, course materials, level of course difficulty, and perceived usefulness and applicability of the course. These findings reveal the benefits of computational approaches adopted in this study for developing CT and coding skills, the relevance of such approaches in mathematics education, areas that can potentially be improved for more effective PD, as well as how rich insights generated by feedback and course design analysis can contribute to assessing the impact of PD and tailoring PD courses to specific teacher needs and concerns
Related Data for: Drought does not induce crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) but regulates photosynthesis and enhances nutritional quality of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum.
No full textPhysiology and nutritional quality of a facultative CAM plant Mesembryanthemum crystallinum under drought stress alone are poorly understood. To induce drought, M. crystallinum was cultured aeroponically with different nutrient spraying intervals such as 5, 30, 60 and 240 min. The long spraying interval such as 240 min resulted in lower mass of root and shoot, shorter total root length with less tips and smaller surface area, compared to short interval of 5 min. Grown under the longest spraying interval of 240 min, M. crystallinumalso had significantly higher leaf dry matter content but lower leaf succulence. However, CAM acidity was undetectable for any plants. Although M. crystallinum grown under extended spraying intervals had higher photosynthetic pigments, they utilized lesser light energy and did not dissipate heat as effectively as those grown under 5 min. Compare to other shorter spraying intervals, photosynthetic gas exchange rates were significantly reduced under 240 min spraying interval, indicating signs of water deficit stress. Shoot nitrate, total reduced nitrogen, total soluble protein and Rubisco concentrations were similar for all plants. For phytochemicals and dietary minerals, plants grown under 240 min spraying interval had significantly higher values than the other plants. Therefore, drought does not result in the induction of CAM but regulates photosynthetic performance and enhances nutritional quality of M. crystallinum
Related Data for Thesis/Dissertation: Meaning, understanding and dialogic relationships in an English language lesson: A Bakhtinian analysis
No full textIn this study, I focus on looking at the meaning in classroom talk through the prism of dialogue, specifically Bakhtinian dialogue, at how it informs meaning and at how these two concepts of meaning and dialogue interact in an educational context. There are various approaches to understanding and unpacking meaning, and how meaning relates to language and speech. There are also different approaches to understanding and unpacking dialogue in teaching and learning (e.g., Alexander, 2001; Burbules, 1993; Skidmore, 2000; Wells, 1999). Dialogue is central to education because it is viewed as a verbal way to exchange thoughts and alternative points, arguments or disputable issues in a form of questioning or critiquing to arrive at an understanding of the discussed matter. In seeing dialogue as such, educators maintain the value of dialogic exchanges as a useful knowledge inquiry tool to materialize student thinking processes. Thus, dialogue has been perceived as a discourse pattern which might best enhance learning in classrooms (Mercer & Littleton, 2007; Skidmore & Murakami, 2016; Walsh, 2006)
Related Data for: Measuring educational leadership in Singapore: Re-examining the psychometric properties of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire
No full textIntroduction: The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X) has been used frequently to assess leadership in different settings. Despite its popularity, there are many critiques of the MLQ-5X such as its questionable multidimensional structure, lack of connection to the theory and the different factor structures of the measurement tool. The purpose of this study was to re-examine the psychometric properties of the MLQ-5X in the Singapore educational context using two datasets.Methods: A total of 872 teachers (40.1% male and 59.9% female) from 20 secondary schools in Singapore completed two sets of MLQ-5X, one set for their immediate reporting officer and one set for their school leaders.Results: Congeneric Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Rho’s coefficients, and AVE were used to analyze MLQ-5X’s convergent validity and internal consistency. After five items were deleted, the MLQ-5X showed acceptable internal consistency and convergent validity. Eight measurement models were tested with the original 36 items and the reduced items MLQ-5X. Latent factor correlation matrix with confidence intervals was used to assess the discriminant validity of the MLQ-5X. The results provided support for a nine first-order factors and three second-order factors model (transformation [IIA, IIB, IM, IS, IC, CR], transactional (MBEA), and non-leadership (MBEP and LF).Discussion: The discriminant validity of the hierarchical measurement model of MLQ-5X is supported using dataset 2.</p
Related Data for: Between-limb asymmetry in kinetic and temporal characteristics during bilateral plyometric drop jumps from different heights
No full textThis study investigated the between-limb asymmetry in kinetic and temporal characteristics during bilateral plyometric drop jumps from different heights. Seventeen male basketball players performed drop jumps from 3 heights on two platforms in randomized orders. Vertical ground reaction force data were analysed with respect to the lead limb (i.e. the limb stepping off the raised platform first) and trail limb. Peak forces and loading rates of each limb were calculated. The absolute time differential between the two limbs at initial ground contact and takeoff were determined. The frequency of symmetrical landing and taking off with “both limbs together” were counted using 3 time windows. Results showed that the lead limb displayed higher peak forces and loading rates than the trail limb across all heights (p <.05). As drop height increased, the absolute time differentials decreased at initial ground contact (p <.001) but increased at takeoff (p =.035). The greater the preset time window, the more landings and takeoffs were classified as bilaterally symmetrical. In conclusion, higher drop heights allowed subjects to become more bilaterally symmetrical in the timing of landing but this reduction in temporal asymmetry did not accompany with any reduction in kinetic asymmetry
Related Data for: Effectiveness of an integrated mental skills and biofeedback training program on sport shooters
No full textAs winning margins narrow in competitive elite sports, the management of psychological and physiological states are critical to ensure optimal performance, especially in closed skill accuracy sports. This intervention study examines the effectiveness of an integrated mental skills and biofeedback training program on fifty air rifle and air pistol shooters from a school air weapons team. The experimental group participated in an intervention program focused on self-talk, relaxation, imagery, and automaticity (or routines), together with HRV biofeedback training. Post-intervention, the experimental group had significantly higher pre-performance HRV and had higher scores for self-talk, relaxation, imagery, and automaticity compared to the control group. Although shooting scores improved at the end of the intervention, the increase was not statistically significant but has great practical implications in elite sport. The improvement in HRV together with the higher shooting scores post-intervention shows improved psychophysiological control which was translated into better performance
Related Data for: Feasibility of a novel movement preference approach to classify case complexity for adults with non-specific chronic low back pain
No full textThe non-specific nature of low back pain (LBP) poses challenges in its diagnosis and clinical management. Classifying case complexity with an exercise method may help overcome these challenges. The present study proposed a movement-based classification system based on Dance Medicine Australia (DMA) Clinical Pilates for patients with non-specific chronic LBP. To test the feasibility of the proposed system, 40 adults with non-specific chronic LBP were assessed on their movement preference (i.e., movement directions that can relieve pain or are pain-free) through the DMA Clinical Pilates method. The movement preferences could be a combination of each of the following movement directions: (1) flexion or extension, (2) left or right lateral flexion and/or (3) left or right rotation. For cases that had central or bilateral pain, the number of movement preferences identified was used to guide the classification. Using the proposed system, all 40 (100%) LBP cases were successfully classified into basic (n = 8, 20%), intermediate (n = 17, 42.5%), advanced (n = 8, 20%) or expert (n = 7, 17.5%) levels of complexity. In conclusion, this study has demonstrated that the proposed movement-based classification system was a feasible method for classifying case complexity in adults with non-specific chronic LBP. Future clinical intervention studies are needed to confirm if this classification system can enhance therapeutic outcomes in patients
Related Data for: Stroke characteristics in sprint kayaking – How does seat order influence synchronization in a K2 crew boat?
No full textThe purpose of this study was to investigate the how seat order in a two-seater (K2) crew boat could influence the performance time and stroke synchronization during high intensity sprint kayaking. Sixteen national team sprint kayakers formed eight K2 crews based on preference. Each crew performed two 200 m segments at high intensity in their preferred order (e.g., Paddler A in front, Paddler B behind), and then the reversed order (i.e., Paddler B in front, Paddler A behind). Video analysis identified stroke synchronization based on a four-position model. Magnitude-based inferences were used for statistical analysis. The preferred seat order was 0.5±1.8 s faster than the reversed seat order but the effect was possibly trivial. As four crews were faster in the reversed seat order, data were also rearranged to compare between the slower and faster trials. The faster trials were 1.5±0.5 s quicker than the slower trials, which was a very likely effect. There was no clear effect of seat order on stroke synchronization between the two paddlers. Since faster timing does not always correspond with the preferred sear order, sprint kayak athletes are recommended to try both possible seat orders in a K2 crew boat rather than relying on preference alone
Related Data for: Differentiated inclusion, muted diversification: immigrant teachers’ settlement and professional experiences in Singapore as a case of ‘middling’ migrants’ integration
No full textExisting migration research has framed ‘middling migrants’ mainly in terms of transnational fluidity and flexibility, thus overlooking the issue of integration. This article adds to a burgeoning scholarship advocating a more locally embedded perspective (e.g. Meier, 2015b. Migrant Professionals in the City: Local Encounters, Identities, and Inequalities. New York and London: Routledge) by investigating the integration of immigrant teachers working in mainstream primary and secondary schools in the Asian city–state of Singapore. It is found that these immigrant teachers faced differentiated formal inclusion with respect to legal settlement, whereas their professional integration experiences also diverged between those who embodied certain ‘mainstream’ characteristics and those who did not. In negotiating professional integration, ‘non-mainstream’ immigrant teachers adopted a spectrum of strategies, but on the whole prioritised the pragmatic imperative to ‘fit in’, resulting in what may be termed muted diversification. In terms of broader ethnic and migration scholarship, this account serves to highlight the ways in which locally specific institutional and sociocultural conditions differentially shape middling migrants’ experiences in respect to settlement and work. With regard to the Singaporean context, this article fills an empirical gap in migration research while also reflecting on the accommodation and management of diversity in education
Related Data for: Practices of science teachers: Evidence from teacher noticing
No full textTeacher noticing patterns offer insights into in-the-moment decisions and actions of teachers that have a direct impact on students’ learning. However, research on differences between novice and expert teachers’ vision in lessons remain limited. Using a mobile eye-tracker, we collected and analyzed data from two science teachers. Findings showed that the expert teacher focused her attention on relevant information across the classroom, while the novice teacher’s attention was restricted to specific problematic areas. As a work-in-progress, this paper provides valuable insights that we can build onto existential work for further studies