1,720,972 research outputs found
Curricular-instructional gatekeeping in Singapore: How teachers enact social studies and give purpose to citizenship education
No full textNote: Restricted to NIE Staff.This study focuses on how Singapore teachers enact the social studies curriculum and give purpose to citizenship education, using the concept of the teacher as a curricular-instructional gatekeeper. It provides detailed description on the conceptualizations of citizenship among social studies teachers, drawing from interviews and lesson observations. Unlike studies carried out in the United States that ignore the role of the institution, the negotiation of the institutional curriculum is foregrounded in this study. The qualitative multiple case study will be used to provide insights and depth of understanding and practice of social studies teachers and their conceptions of citizenship.OER 10/14 J
Citizenship as curriculum aim: Problematizing social studies in Singapore
No full textThis slides were presented at the Humanities Educators’ Conference 2012 on “Fostering Critical Thinking, Inspiring Active Learning”, held in Singapore from 30 - 31 May 2012Published versio
The development of social studies in Singapore secondary schools
No full textSocial studies is introduced as a new compulsory and examinable subject in all Singapore secondary schools at the upper secondary level in 2001. It will be examined for the first time at both the Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of education 'Normal' and 'Ordinary' Levels (GCE 'N' and '0' Levels) in 2002. Social studies was conceived in the context of National Education. The purpose is to enhance students' understanding of the key issues central to Singapore's survival and success. This article examines the development of social studies in Singapore secondary schools at the upper secondary level. Interviews were conducted with teachers and students in 20 schools in Singapore on the initial teaching and learning of social studies; the findings and its pedagogical implications will be discussed.Published versio
Social studies and citizen education : teacher knowledge and practice in Singapore secondary schools
Full text link‘Simple ideological "dupes" of national governments'? Teacher agency and citizenship education in Singapore
No full textAccepted versio
‘Intersectional othering’ and the minoritisation of ‘Malay/Muslim’ identities in Singapore’s multicultural education
No full textSingapore’s multiculturalism has been recognised as a successful model for the preservation of harmony across racial differences in its society. Despite this, outstanding complexities still exist between groups, but are often minimised in public discourse. While there is vast literature on multiculturalism and race relations in Singaporean society, there is also a lack of scholarship assessing how they have been enacted or learnt in schools. This paper questions how Malay/Muslim identities, in particular, have been viewed through Singapore’s multicultural education. Findings from a qualitative case study conducted showed how the curriculum has largely constructed Malay/Muslims as minorities and ‘Others’ in terms of: (i) race; (ii) religion; and (iii) socioeconomic status. The intersection of these identities compounds ‘Malay/Muslim’ minority status, giving rise to ‘intersectional othering’ which then sustains their continued and perceived minoritisation. It concludes by suggesting how multicultural education in Singapore can attend to issues surrounding intersectional identities today. This paper is part of a larger doctoral study looking into racial identity formation within multicultural education in Singapore.</p
Rethinking critical patriotism: A case of constructive patriotism in Social Studies teachers in Singapore
No full textCritical patriotism is an ideal in many liberal Western nations. Few studies, however, explore how teachers understand and teach critical patriotism and the possible tensions arising from its adoption, especially in non-Western contexts. This qualitative case study explores the understandings and practices of two Social Studies teachers from an elite girls’ school in Singapore to understand how they negotiate the tensions that arise when critical thinking and patriotism meet. The findings show that the teachers perceive little contradiction between patriotism and critical thinking and hence, generally taught in line with democratic citizenship education. They encouraged students to discuss controversial policies, brought in diverse perspectives and challenged the status quo. However, sensitive to the socio-political context in Singapore, they sought consensus instead of contestation, gradual change instead of radical change, in contrast to the spirit of critical patriotism. These findings suggest that in Singapore, where communitarian values are promoted, critical patriotism was expressed differently. Constructive patriotism may be a better term to describe the type of patriotism observed in the teachers.Accepted versio
Towards engaged citizens: Understanding Singaporean students’ civic knowledge, participation, attitudes, and participation
No full textNote: Restricted to NIE Staff.We adopted the theoretical model of the IEA Civic Education Study (CivEd) described as the Octagon, which reflects an interactive perspective of civic development. The model shows the ways in which the everyday lives of young people in homes, with peers and at school serve as nested context for constructive thinking, learning, and action in the social and political environment. At the centre of the octagon is the student, surrounded by public discourses of goals, values and practice relevant to civic education. The discourses influence the individual through various socialization agents, including the family, peer group, and school. Circumscribing these processes are the ‘macro-systems’, composed of institutions, processes and values in politics, economics and religion, the country’s international position, social stratification, and narratives in national and local communities. In all, 28 nations participated in the IEA CivEd.OER 35/08 J
School-based curriculum development in Singapore: Bottom-up perspectives of a top-down policy
No full textGlobalisation has generated an impetus for educational reforms in many countries to ensure economic survival. Singapore's Ministry of Education is encouraging innovation at the parochial level through school-based curriculum development (SBCD). This phenomenon has been well researched in countries with a tradition of decentralisation but, as it appears antithetical to Singapore's entralised system, specific research targeting the local situation is required. Using a case study approach, this research explores teachers' perspectives of their roles in SBCD and the challenges faced. Findings suggest that a form of SBCD can occur without total autonomy and that the difficulties encountered are consistent with existing literature.Published versio
What global citizenship means to Singapore primary students
No full textOne challenge in the crafting of a school-based curriculum for global citizenship (GC) is the wide range of conceptualisations of global citizenship ranging from the simple incorporation of group-work in class activity to the inclusion of more issues-based, justice oriented curriculum content. As schools in the small island-state of Singapore 1nake sense of globalisation, what do pupils know or understand about global citizenship? This article reports on the findings of a qualitative study of what local and international pupils, aged 11, understand of GC in Singapore. Broadly, their understanding cohere around three themes respect, responsibility and issues in relationships. These themes are nuanced by differences in perceptions due to the school curriculum, pupils' ethnicity and nationality and, to a lesser extent, gender; these differences underline the need to include pupils' voices for a 1nore dynamic and rigorous approach in global citizenship education (GCE) curriculum development.Published versio
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