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Related Data for: Children’s lifeworlds in a global city: Singapore
No full textThis book examines connections between policy contexts, school experiences and everyday activities of children growing up in the global city of Singapore. In particular, it explores how Singapore children’s everyday experiences inside and outside of school shape their orientations towards educational success. Alongside an analysis of school life and educational policies, it also considers children’s out-of-school activities, including leisure, homework, and enrichment activities, and connections between these and their school-based activities. The book draws on empirical data from Primary 4 classes in two Singapore schools in the form of student-completed surveys, classroom ethnographies, student responses to a learning dialogues activity, and a re-enactment of one child's out-of-school life, as well as curriculum and policy analysis. It provides readers with an in-depth understanding of Singapore Primary 4 children’s experiences inside and outside of school, including the structure of timetables and pedagogical approaches encountered in school lessons, children’s enjoyment of activities inside and outside of school, children’s engagement and wellbeing at school, and the impact of Singapore’s educational policies on children’s learning experiences. Moving beyond a simplistic focus on Singapore children’s academic performance in international high-stakes testing, the book offers a comprehensive exploration of their lives inside and outside of school. This holistic approach is unique in the Singapore context and contributes to a greater understanding of children’s everyday lives in the city
Related data for: Managing the data lifecycle for research (cost-)effectiveness
No full textIn light of the need to use research data more effectively, for both scientific and pragmatic reasons, this proof-of-concept study was designed to achieve the following: (1) build a conventional research dataset into an accessible and reusable secondary analysis data archive (SADA) with an indexed searchable database
(2) provide a model of how the conversion process can be achieved on other datasets and on a broader scale in the National Institute of Education (NIE)
(3) provide recommendations for attendant changes to institutional processes and research practices</p
Related Data for Thesis/Dissertation: The role of psychological factors in the onset of low back pain
No full textLow back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of disability worldwide with significant costs to individuals, their families, and society at large. Despite the burden it poses on our society, there is still insufficient emphasis on primary prevention of LBP, i.e. to prevent its occurrence or recurrence. Contemporary theoretical models of health and well-being advocate for an approach where biological factors are considered along with psychological and social factors. Clinical practice however is incongruent with these theoretical positions, with psychological factors often not featured in LBP prevention interventions. In order to support greater psychologically informed practice in LBP preventive action, the evidencebased practice (EBP) model was first used to frame the research and knowledge gaps that contribute to the lack of psychologically informed practice from a clinical decision-making perspective. According to the EBP model, applied clinical practice is informed by four interrelated spheres; the body of available research evidence, the clinical state and setting, the patient’s personal preferences for assessment and management; and the clinician’s clinical expertise. Three research studies were conducted to address barriers to psychologically informed practice arising in three of these spheres.
In Study 1, the gap in the understanding of physiotherapists opinions on the importance of psychological risk factors in the development of LBP was examined. Through an online survey of physiotherapists practising in Singapore, it was found that physiotherapists do consider psychological factors as important in the development of LBP. Factors such as LBP beliefs, pain catastrophising cognitions, work-related stress and psychological distress were perceived as amongst the topmost important risk factors. The study also demonstrated a favourable perspective on psychological risk factors in LBP development with psychological factors emerging as more important than many nonpsychological factors.
In Study 2, the gap related to insufficient recommendations for psychological measurement tools for LBP primary prevention was addressed. Following the emergence of LBP beliefs, pain catastrophising cognitions, work-related stress and psychological distress as important risk factors in Study 1, three psychological measurement tools were selected and evaluated to check if they were suitable for use for LBP primary prevention purposes in Singapore. To achieve this, factorial validity and the measurement invariance across people with and without LBP of the 10-item Back-Pain Attitudes Questionnaire (Back-PAQ-10), Pain Catastrophising Scale (PCS) and Screening Tool for Psychological Distress (STOP-D) were examined. Results from the study revealed that some of the measures tools required revisions in order to achieve good psychometric fit within this Singaporean cohort. Examination of the measurement invariance also showed that the measurement tools were invariant across people with and without LBP. Therefore the Back-PAQ-10, the revised bifactor, 2-factor PCS, and the composite STOP-D were suitable to assess psychological factors related to the development of LBP.
In Study 3, two research gaps were addressed related to understanding the role of psychological factors in the possible aetiology of LBP. Through a series of structural models, the relationship between key psychological factors identified in Study 1, and the presence of LBP, characterised by pain severity and disability, were examined. The results provided substantive evidence for the important role of psychological factors in the presence of LBP. The results showed that psychological factors are associated with the onset of LBP, where some result in the presence of LBP characterised by greater pain severity and some in terms of greater disability. The models also provided evidence supporting the explanatory mechanisms of the Generic Cognitive Model (GCM), for the pattern of interrelationships between psychological factors as well as the direct associations with LBP outcomes.
The findings from this research project have several key implications. From a practical and clinical perspective, it provides a model of how to consider key psychological factors in LBP, along with suitable instruments for their assessment. This is of particular relevance to physiotherapists who characteristically do not have extensive education or training in psychology, therefore an operational framework is valuable for facilitating clinical application. From a theoretical perspective, it extends our currently limited knowledge regarding how psychological factors influence LBP, facilitating further research into possible explanatory mechanisms for the role of psychological factors.</p
Related Data for Thesis/Dissertation: Durable and changing views of English : A diachronic study of National Day Rally speeches in Singapore
No full textScholars who researched on language policies or language ideologies ventured into diachronic analysis due to its comparative value. They have drawn on a variety of sources to provide a diachronic perspective of language ideologies or policies over time. Diachronic studies which rely chiefly on official pronouncements on languages or language policies are rare. Focusing on Singapore, a close review of the scholarly discussion on language ideologies in Singapore and scholarly work which examines National Day Rally (NDR) speeches delivered by Singaporean politicians reveal that researchers in these domains have yet to conduct a diachronic analysis of the NDR speeches delivered from 1966 to 2017. Additionally, despite the abundance of work done on the concept of `othering’ in the field of Language Policy and Planning (LPP), there’s a paucity on scholarly work which examined the concept of positive representations of the othered. Furthermore, this study too strives to address Wee’s (2018) call for studies to examine the concept of ‘ideology pooling’.
This study therefore aims to find out whether Singaporean politicians’ views of English (with embedded language ideologies) have changed over time by conducting a diachronic analysis of National Day Rally (NDR) speeches delivered since independence. Specifically, this analysis composes two levels, namely a diachronic thematic analysis of views of English in Singapore (level 1) and a nuanced discourse analysis on practices of ‘othering’ (level 2).
To explicate, level 1 of the analysis entails conducting a diachronic thematic analysis of views of English in Singapore (level 1) with an additional focus on the concept of ’ideology pooling’. Instances of conflicting as well as shared ideologies (via diachronic thematic analysis) are systematically identified and analysed.
The concept of ‘othering’ gets examined after executing level 1. This second level of analysis looks at ways of ‘othering’ (e.g. how speakers/writers of Singlish/Standard English are othered) and whether ideologies are conveyed over time by positive or negative ‘othering’ (or a mixture of both). Particularly, it executes a 3-step nuanced, qualitative analysis that adopts Petersoo (2007)’s typology on the different types of others. Attempts have also been made to include the notion of ‘self-deprecation’ in the analysis of the NDR speeches by adapting Petersoo’s (2007) study such that it reflects the mentioned concept as a subset of positive ‘othering’.
This study has traced views of English (and their embedded ideologies) over time. Notably, views in this study refer to both implicit as well as explicit beliefs about English. Specifically, 3 dominant ideologies have been identified, namely, English as a lingua franca (unifying language), pragmatism and English /Singlish as a carrier of values/culture. I conclude that the Singaporean state and her citizenry are very much entrenched in the ideology of pragmatism. It is unlikely for the state to retract or alter its view of linguistic pragmatism in the near future since the state is very much embroiled with pragmatism. Some key findings include a discovery that proponents of Singlish too adopt a binary view of understanding English(es) in Singapore. Thus, a dynamic approach was proposed. Additionally, it was discovered that the state has a strong preference to use the discursive ‘othering’ practice of ‘internal negative ’othering’’ to convey Singlish’s undesirability for various state agendas. This preference would facilitate the perpetuation of the belief that standard English is the preferred variety.</p
Related Data for: Holistic design of a mobile peer tutoring application based on learning and user needs analysis
No full textResearch has shown that peer tutoring at the university level could improve students’ performance and, enhance their motivation and learning, increase self-determination and learner autonomy, and reinforce conceptual knowledge by providing opportunities for reapplication of concepts. This paper describes the development of a mobile peer tutoring application – Mobile Education Networked Tutoring On Request (MENTOR). We start with a review of the literature to identify the relevant affordances that this mobile app should possess. In addition, questionnaires were administered with students studying in higher education to understand the needs of peer tutoring with tutors and tutees. The findings of the survey data showed that a majority of the students are receptive to peer tutoring and found it to be a user-friendly and intuitive method of mobile peer tutoring. One feature of MENTOR is the tutor-tutee matching – tutees are individually paired with tutors by using predictive modeling based on student data. Tutor-tutee matching can be efficiently accomplished via MENTOR mobile application by granting tutees the choice of tutors based on mutual tutor-tutee availabilities, students' background and tutor ratings. The other main features of the mobile peer tutoring application, such as online peer tutoring are presented in this study. The study contributes to the application of learning sciences and learning technologies to provide a holistic design for supporting student peer tutoring at the university level
Related Data for: Identifying plant healthy indicators of five tropical perennials using certain leaf physiological traits during drought stress and re-watering
No full textPerennials improve soil strength and stabilize the slope. However, they are very prone to drought stress (DS). To identify plant health indicators, this study investigated the responses of five tropical perennials commonly grown in Singapore’s slope to DS and re-watering (RW) in the greenhouse. The durations for mild, intermediate, and severe DS defined as T1, T2, and T3, respectively, before RW were based on the extents of reduced Fv/Fm ratio (maximal quantum efficiency of PSII) and the levels of wilting. After RW, soil water content (SWC) increased until field capacity in all DS soil, although they were significantly lower than in well-watered (WW) soil. Overall, the Fv/Fm ratios and leaf water content (LWC) decreased significantly in all DS plants compared to those of WW plants, but all increased to the similar level as WW plants after RW. Nitrogen deficiency did not occur in any plants during DS. There were clear positive correlations of SWC with Fv/Fm ratios, LWC, effective quantum yield of PSII (∆F/Fm’), electron transport rate (ETR), and photochemical quenching (qP) for all species. To monitor plant health, it would recommend using both non-destructive measurements such as SWC and Fv/Fm ratios and destructive parameters like LWC, ∆F/Fm’, ETR, and qP
Related Data for: Understanding middle leaders' concerns in curriculum change: A missing perspective
No full textThis paper is a case study evaluating the concerns that middle leaders in Singapore schools had as they implemented a large-scale English language curriculum reform. Drawing on in-depth interviews, the study aimed to gain insights into middle leaders’ perspectives. Its findings indicated that middle leadership could exert a substantial influence on educational change within a school. Not only were they able to influence their teachers’ understanding, but they also held some sway over the teachers’ receptivity towards and enactment of the reform. In addition, there were commonalities among the middle leaders’ concerns about the curriculum reform. As reform policies tend to differ from school priorities, failure to address middle leaders’ concerns has wide implications for curriculum reform and implementation
Related Data for: Acute effects of Square Stepping Exercise on cognitive and social functions in sedentary young adults: A home-based online trial
No full textBackground: The Square Stepping Exercise (SSE) is an exercise training program incorporating cognitive and physical exercise components, which was originally developed for older adults to reduce falling risks. SSE’s potential in delaying cognitive decline in older adults seems to be promising. However, there is scarce research on the SSE program with young adults. Furthermore, the outbreak of coronavirus disease has imposed people to change their lifestyle and behaviors, including exercise behaviors. Hence, the purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of a home-based online SSE trial on cognitive and social functions in sedentary young adults.
Methods: A total of 18 young adults (6 males, 12 females) participated in the present study. They completed two exercise conditions (SSE and active control exercise), consisting of 3 sessions per week, over 2 weeks. A 2 times (pre vs. post) × 2 conditions (SSE vs. active control) repeated-measures ANCOVA was conducted on the score of the Modified Card Sorting Task with age and education year as covariates. A one-way repeated-measures MANOVA was performed on the subscale scores of the Physical Activity Group Environment Questionnaire to examine the effects of the exercise conditions (SSE vs. active control) on group cohesion.
Results: SSE was found effective to improve executive function such as abstract reasoning, mental flexibility, and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, participants’ perceptions of social interaction with their group, and closeness and bonding existing in their group were significantly higher in the SSE condition than the active control
condition.
Conclusions: In the present study, SSE was conducted online and found to be effective to enhance executive function and group cohesion in sedentary young adults. These novel approach and findings are the strengths of the present study. People aged 60 years and over are more vulnerable to the coronavirus and at higher risk of developing serious illness. Given the coronavirus pandemic circumstances, it is worthwhile to explore the possibility of the online SSE approach to older adults in future research.</p
Related Data for: Predicting how well adolescents get along with peers and teachers: A machine learning approach
No full textHow well adolescents get along with others such as peers and teachers is an important aspect of adolescent development. Current research on adolescent relationship with peers and teachers is limited by classical methods that lack explicit test of predictive performance and cannot efficiently discover complex associations with potential non-linearity and higher-order interactions among a large set of predictors. Here, a transparently reported machine learning approach is utilized to overcome these limitations in concurrently predicting how well adolescents perceive themselves to get along with peers and teachers. The predictors were 99 items from four instruments examining internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, sensation-seeking, peer pressure, and parent-child conflict. The sample consisted of 3232 adolescents (M = 14.0 years, SD = 1.0 year, 49% female). Nonlinear machine learning classifiers predicted with high performance adolescent relationship with peers and teachers unlike classical methods. Using model explainability analyses at the item level, results identified influential predictors related to somatic complaints and attention problems that interacted in nonlinear ways with internalizing behaviors. In many cases, these intrapersonal predictors outcompeted in predictive power many interpersonal predictors. Overall, the results suggest the need to cast a much wider net of variables for understanding and predicting adolescent relationships, and highlight the power of a data-driven machine learning approach with implications on a predictive science of adolescence research
Related Data for: Play‒sleep nexus in Indonesian preschool children before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic has transformed Indonesians’ behaviors and has had an impact on many facets of daily life. People’s lives are becoming increasingly dependent on digital technologies, which is a phenomenon with conflicting effects on people’s health and happiness. This cross-sectional study focused on one such influence, namely, how the shift from the period before to during COVID-19 has affected children’s playtime and sleep duration. As part of a multicenter study, 618 adult caregivers (parents, family members, or babysitters) who visited the kindergarten in question on behalf of preschool children aged 2–5 years (4.04 ± 1.39) were surveyed on the children’s play and sleep habits before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, particularly Java Island (before pandemic, N = 309; during pandemic, N = 309). ANOVA was used for a statistical analysis to describe the difference between groups and within time collections. Significant favorable relationships were found between pre-pandemic and post-pandemic playtime and sleeping time on weekdays, weekends, and averaged weekday-weekend (r = 0.437; 0.180 and 0.321, all p 0.05). The COVID-19 pandemic had no impact on sleep duration or playtime in Javanese preschool children. Efforts should be intensified to promote the value of playtime and sleep duration among children in this age range so that the future of Indonesian children’s can be ensured