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Current Issue: Volume 11, Issue 2 2022

Editors’ forward for HSSE’s special issue on sustainability
This special edition of HSSE Online places the spotlight on the overarching themes of sustainability, sustainable development and sustainability-related pedagogies. The eight articles in this edition run along two key strands, with the first one attending to the (un)sustainable use of resources. Ayshathun Munavvara expounds on the the over-extraction of groundwater for irrigation purposes near Tonle Sap (a lake in Cambodia), while Jean Lim stresses the excessive use of disposable plastics and exceedingly low rates of plastic recycling in Singapore (i.e. 4%, NEA 2022). Meanwhile, Karina Lalchand Sheri (2022a) investigates the extent to which run-of-river mega dams in the Amazon are more sustainable (and less disruptive to river morphology) compared to their traditional counterparts (with large reservoirs).
The second strand evident in this volume considers the intersections between climate change (education) and (environmentally) sustainable practices. Jean Lim and Goh Xin Fang discuss the content knowledge and necessary attitudes that educators ought to possess in order to meet the learning objectives of climate change education in Singapore’s secondary schools. Jean Lim is concerned about how well-equipped pre-service (student) teachers are with the rudiments of plastic recycling, whereas Goh Xin Fang is eager to know what in-service Chemistry teachers think and do about climate change education in their lessons. In her second article, Karina Lalchand Sheri (2022b) foregrounds thoughtful measures that teachers deploy to alleviate climate-change induced heat stress in their schools. Finally, Colin Leong and Ong Zhi Qing are enthusiastic about the pedagogical affordances of digitally-enabled learning vis-à-vis Adva (a carbon calculator smart-phone application) and game-based learning vis-à-vis Getting to zero (a physical card game developed locally on getting to zero carbon emissions) respectively. While monitoring one’s carbon footprint through the use of Adva promotes carbon light living on an individual scale, Getting to zero focuses on the same pressing issue but on a national/institutional scale.
More crucially, these articles (in)directly shed light on an often neglected aspect of purportedly environmentalist and/or sustainable practices — that of sustaining them, as opposed to piece-meal, tokenistic or perfunctory attempts at doing so. For instance, Karina Lalchand Sheri (2022b) is at pains to emphasize that technocratic responses (e.g. air-conditioning) to climate change induced challenges (e.g. thermal discomfort from warming) are rarely good long-term solutions, and often create other problems (e.g. more carbon emissions, financial cost).

HSSE Online is published by the HSSE Academic Group, National Institute of Education (NIE), Singapore. The overarching purpose of the journal is to energize, inform and improve teaching practice in Humanities and Social Studies education in Singapore and to provide a venue to share ideas, research and resources that will be useful to teachers and scholars.

We seek to develop and deepen knowledge and understanding of powerful and innovative research and practice in Humanities and Social Studies education. We hope you will make use of these ideas and resources as well as contribute your own.

Featured Articles

The Pedagogical Affordances of Game-Based Learning: “Getting To Zero” And Pro-Environmental Action

Author/s:

Ong Zhiqing

Ong Zhiqing(National Institute of Education (Singapore)) Keywords Geography Junior College Secondary School In light of concerns over global warming, environmental education has been touted as a means of raising environmental consciousness and effecting transformative change. This paper evaluates the pedagogical affordances of gamification or game based learning in motivating pro-environmental action. In particular, this paper […]

Ong Zhiqing(National Institute of Education (Singapore))

Keywords
Geography
Junior College
Secondary School

In light of concerns over global warming, environmental education has been touted as a means of raising environmental consciousness and effecting transformative change. This paper evaluates the pedagogical affordances of gamification or game based learning in motivating pro-environmental action. In particular, this paper focuses on the role that a physical card game called “Getting to Zero” can play in educating students about the trade-offs that Singapore faces in order to achieving net-zero emissions. It also offers some recommendations on how educators can better incorporate this game in the classroom.

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Climate Change Education In Singapore: A Survey of Science Teachers

Author/s:

Goh Xin Fang

Goh Xin Fang (National Institute of Education (Singapore)) Keywords Geography Junior College Secondary School Action has been taken by governments and international organisations to address the global implications of climate change brought about by economic development that is unsustainable. In Singapore, climate change education is one of the numerous strategies mobilised by the state to mitigate […]

Goh Xin Fang (National Institute of Education (Singapore))

Keywords
Geography
Junior College
Secondary School

Action has been taken by governments and international organisations to address the global implications of climate change brought about by economic development that is unsustainable. In Singapore, climate change education is one of the numerous strategies mobilised by the state to mitigate the negative effects of global warming. Climate change education is featured in the country’s Science and Geography secondary school curriculum. Meanwhile, this study aims to investigate what in-service Chemistry secondary school teachers think about their teaching practice and the outcomes of climate change education. The findings of this study can hopefully provide recommendations for strengthening Climate Change Education in Singapore.

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Teachers’ Perceptions of Climate Change Induced Heat Stress and Related Heat Management Strategies In Singapore’s Schools

Author/s:

Karina Lalchand Sheri

Karina Lalchand Sheri (National Institute of Education (Singapore)) Keywords Geography Junior College Secondary School Global warming is palpable in Singapore. Given that most classrooms in the country are largely affected by rising ambient temperatures, students are susceptible to heat stress, which undermines their learning productivity. This qualitative study sought to understand what six secondary school teachers […]

Karina Lalchand Sheri (National Institute of Education (Singapore))

Keywords
Geography
Junior College
Secondary School

Global warming is palpable in Singapore. Given that most classrooms in the country are largely affected by rising ambient temperatures, students are susceptible to heat stress, which undermines their learning productivity. This qualitative study sought to understand what six secondary school teachers in Singapore thought about the adverse effects that climate change induced warming can have on their students’ learning. While thermal discomfort was a real issue to contend with, this study found that its effects on productivity varied across time, from student to student, and among schools. Instead of relying on cooling methods that involved the further use of energy/resources for temporary thermal relief, the recommendations/strategies for dealing with heat stress mentioned by the teachers were far more sustainable and contextually specific.

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Mega Dams and Their Impacts On Downstream Sand Bar and Island Dynamics Along The Madeira River, Brazil

Author/s:

Karina Lalchand Sheri

Karina Lalchand Sheri (National Institute of Education (Singapore)) Keywords Geography Junior College Secondary School This paper investigates the impact of both Santo Antônio and Jirau mega dams on the downstream geomorphology of, more specifically, island and bar dynamics along the Madeira River in the Amazon. Water level data from gauge stations and remote sensing images from […]

Karina Lalchand Sheri (National Institute of Education (Singapore))

Keywords
Geography
Junior College
Secondary School

This paper investigates the impact of both Santo Antônio and Jirau mega dams on the downstream geomorphology of, more specifically, island and bar dynamics along the Madeira River in the Amazon. Water level data from gauge stations and remote sensing images from 1990 to 2019 were deployed to make sense of the changes in the number, area and volume of islands/bars downstream of the dams. The data indicated that both Santo Antônio and Jirau, which are run-of-river dams have not had significant impacts on the area and volume of islands/bars found in Madeira River’s five reaches. A reduction in the volume of islands/bars was marginally more substantial than a negligible reduction in their areal extent. Trapped sediments behind both dams could have accounted for the slight decrease in island/bar volume. Overall, this paper opens up a discussion on the sustainability of fluvial/geomorphological features and water regimes, alongside the installation of run-of-river dams as an allegedly more sustainable alternative to other kinds of hydraulic structures and non-renewable sources of energy. Student-teachers who are taking tertiary courses in physical Geography, as well as A Level Geography educators are likely to take interest in this in-depth and well contextualised case study of mega dams in Brazil.

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Single-Use Plastics: A Survey of Pre-Service Secondary School Teachers In Singapore

Author/s:

Jean Lim Le Hui

Jean Lim Le Hui (National Institute of Education (Singapore)) Keywords Geography Junior College Secondary School The excessive use of disposable plastics coupled with Singapore’s low 4% recycling rate of plastic waste renders this a significant environmental problem (National Environment Agency 2022). It is widely acknowledged that public school teachers play a crucial role in inculcating environmentally […]

Jean Lim Le Hui (National Institute of Education (Singapore))

Keywords
Geography
Junior College
Secondary School

The excessive use of disposable plastics coupled with Singapore’s low 4% recycling rate of plastic waste renders this a significant environmental problem (National Environment Agency 2022). It is widely acknowledged that public school teachers play a crucial role in inculcating environmentally sustainable best practices among their students. However, this paper demonstrates that (pre-service) teachers in Singapore are often not adequately equipped with the necessary knowledge to be effective environmental educators. It argues that a more rigorous teacher training program with an emphasis on eco-pedagogy, alongside an eco-centric curriculum can help with the management of plastic waste on a national level.

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Analysing The Pedagogical Affordances of A Carbon Calculator Application (Adva) and Its Role In Environmental Education

Author/s:

Colin Leong Tze Yeen

Colin Leong Tze Yeen(National Institute of Education (Singapore)) Keywords Geography Junior College Secondary School The effects of global warming are palpable and Singapore has begun the pursuit of carbon neutrality as a goal. Accordingly, the country’s Ministry of Education has launched the Eco Stewardship Programme in a bid to foster sustainable practices among students. Meanwhile, […]

Colin Leong Tze Yeen(National Institute of Education (Singapore))

Keywords
Geography
Junior College
Secondary School

The effects of global warming are palpable and Singapore has begun the pursuit of carbon neutrality as a goal. Accordingly, the country’s Ministry of Education has launched the Eco Stewardship Programme in a bid to foster sustainable practices among students. Meanwhile, there has been a proliferation of lifestyle applications on smart phones, including those that are environmentally inclined. This paper explores the pedagogical potential of Adva, which is a carbon calculator application. It foregrounds how Adva can be integrated into the geography curriculum/classroom to augment teaching/learning experiences and ultimately, to incite transformative, pro-environmentalist action.

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