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Sim Hwee Hwang

Authors List

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Sim Hwee Hwang

Authors List

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Author/s:

Hwee Hwang, Sim (National Institute of Education, Singapore) Keywords primary social studies Primary School Primary SS Fieldwork Children’s Localities Children’s localities refer to the neighbourhoods where the children’s homes, schools and communities are found (Catling, 2011). As these are the places where children live their lives and are easily accessible to their schools, teachers should make […]

Hwee Hwang, Sim (National Institute of Education, Singapore)

Keywords
primary social studies
Primary School
Primary SS Fieldwork

Children’s Localities
Children’s localities refer to the neighbourhoods where the children’s homes, schools and communities are found (Catling, 2011). As these are the places where children live their lives and are easily accessible to their schools, teachers should make use of these localities which are relatively safe environments to deepen children’s understanding of these places and be rooted in them (Barlow, 2017; Milner, Jewson & Scoffham, 2010). This is important as one of the goals of the Singapore’s primary social studies syllabus is for children to know how they can relate to the places and people around them (MOE, 2012a). They need to know how to find their way around their neighbourhoods and value them as sites where meaningful relationships with their families, friends and communities are forged and where memorable memories are created. These localities develop children’s sense of place, identity and community (Barlow, 2017, Catling & Willy, 2018) through their direct or indirect interactions with them. Children are most familiar with their schools’ and homes’ immediate surrounds but not necessarily with places further away from them. Their understandings of the more “distant” places within their localities and beyond are more influenced by indirect influences such as their families’ or friends’ accounts or stories than their limited contacts at these sites. Hence, one way of helping children learn about the places within their localities and beyond is through fieldwork in social studies, that is, learning through “the soles of (children’s) feet” (Steel, 2010) beyond the four walls of the classroom.

Merits of Fieldwork in Children’s Localities and Beyond

In Singapore, social studies is an inter-disciplinary subject comprising geography, history, sociology and economics. The primary social studies syllabus advocates field-based learning in teaching the subject (MOE, 2012b). Its merits as highlighted by the Ministry of Education (MOE) include enabling children learning in a real-world context, increasing their engagement in the subject and deepening their conceptual learning through the connection between outdoor and classroom learning and knowledge construction. Additionally, the literature on fieldwork also expounds other benefits. Catling and Willy (2018) stated that fieldwork enables children’s original perceptions, biases and prejudices of localities to be challenged and modified and will help them attain a more balanced perception and make informed decisions about places. They mentioned that fieldwork promotes children’s skills development in observation, hypothesizing, prediction, analysis, interpretation and even envisioning (of alternative futures) of the sites. Other skills include asking questions, using different sources of information and collecting varied forms of data on site. In addition, children will develop a sense of belonging, identity and appreciation of places. Cantle (2008), Hayward (2012) and Lanza (2012) pointed to the development of children’s sense of empathy and community in their interactions with people living in their localities and beyond. They become aware of the different communities, appreciate the similarities and the diversities amongst them, become connected to them, be engaged in them and show care for them.  Through fieldwork, children can also participate as young citizens in environmental or social actions when investigating issues in their localities. These issues can be about environmental impacts, management and sustainability. At the same time, according to Catling and Willy (2018), fieldwork in children’s localities and beyond can integrate social studies with other school subjects such as science, art and craft and language to provide a inter or multi-disciplinary platform for studying places and the people residing and/or working there. This utilisation of fieldwork to achieve inter or multi-disciplinary goals can be particularly useful in view of heavy school curriculum and time constraint in teaching and learning.

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Sim Hwee Hwang (National Institute of Education, Singapore) Keywords Primary Social Studies Primary School Primary Social Studies Abstract Geography is a subject that helps children understand and appreciate the world they live in. The subject enables them to make thoughtful decisions and take responsible actions towards sustainable living. This article focuses on the teaching of geographical […]

Sim Hwee Hwang (National Institute of Education, Singapore)

Keywords
Primary Social Studies
Primary School
Primary Social Studies

Abstract
Geography is a subject that helps children understand and appreciate the world they live in. The subject enables them to make thoughtful decisions and take responsible actions towards sustainable living. This article focuses on the teaching of geographical concepts and skills in the primary social studies curriculum. Questions on what is geography, why teach geography, what are the key geographical concepts and skills in the primary social studies curriculum and how can these concepts and skills be taught will be elaborated.

What is Geography?
Geography is one of the several subjects that make up the primary social studies curriculum in Singapore. Like history, economics, sociology and political science, geography is not taught as a separate subject but is integrated with these subjects under the umbrella subject called social studies. The word “geo” means “Earth” and “graphy” means “writing” so geography is about the study of the Earth. Geography asks questions about places in order to understand where these places are as well as what makes them distinct from one another and gives them their unique place identities. It also asks questions about the interactions and relationships between places and the people living there, the impacts of these interactions and what can be done to ensure sustainable living for future generations. Such questions about places, ranging from local to global in scale, can be raised (Smeaton, 1998).

Why Teach Geography?
The purposes of studying geography (Catling & Willy, 2009) in primary social studies are many and they can contribute towards the development of children to be informed, concerned and participative citizens (MOE, 2012).

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Sim Hwee Hwang (National Institute of Education, Singapore) Keywords Primary Social Studies Primary School Primary Social Studies Abstract Stories are often used by teachers to transmit knowledge, values and dispositions, deepen understanding and develop critical thinking in children. The power of stories and storytelling is highlighted in this article which focuses on why and how stories […]

Sim Hwee Hwang (National Institute of Education, Singapore)

Keywords
Primary Social Studies
Primary School
Primary Social Studies

Abstract
Stories are often used by teachers to transmit knowledge, values and dispositions, deepen understanding and develop critical thinking in children. The power of stories and storytelling is highlighted in this article which focuses on why and how stories can be used for teaching primary social studies concepts and generalisations, how to choose suitable story books for children, and how to use some of them in the classroom. Three teaching approaches, namely, the shared book approach, the integrated biographical inquiry and storytelling are featured along with ideas of how these may be applied during lessons.

Introduction
Since the beginning of time, stories have been handed down from one generation to another in various societies. Stories help to transmit knowledge, culture, traditions, beliefs, morals and values of a community.  They can make us laugh at ourselves, hold our breath, feel excited and be encouraged and uplifted in our spirit when we are down. Through stories, we can learn more about ourselves, the humanity and the world we live in (Sim, 2004). As stories are rich resources, they can be used for teaching and learning.

Why Use Stories for Primary Social Studies Teaching and Learning?
Generally, researchers have found that young students are able to recall and describe things that are crucial to them because of their familiarity with using narrative thinking modes (Bruner, 1990; Downey & Levstik, 1991; Egan, 1988, 1990). Stories are usually organized in a format that comprises a person/group of people with certain goal/s and who use/s particular strategies to achieve these goal/s which can lead them to certain outcomes. This goal-strategy-outcome format enables students to remember story details and bridge from the known to the unknown. When narratives about the past are used, students are able to see the time, place and situation through the eyes of the people in the stories. Such narratives can develop students’ empathy and combat their tendencies towards presentism when thinking about the past, and chauvinism when thinking about other cultures. They can be powerful tools to help them learn about different places and environments.

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Sim Hwee Hwang (National Institute of Education, Singapore) P. Ananthi (Woodgrove Primary School (Singapore)) Keywords Primary Social Studies Primary School Primary Social Studies Abstract One cannot assume that learning will necessarily take place just because children are doing group work. To ensure that productive learning takes place, there is a need to infuse elements of cooperative learning […]

Sim Hwee Hwang (National Institute of Education, Singapore)
P. Ananthi (Woodgrove Primary School (Singapore))

Keywords
Primary Social Studies
Primary School
Primary Social Studies

Abstract
One cannot assume that learning will necessarily take place just because children are doing group work. To ensure that productive learning takes place, there is a need to infuse elements of cooperative learning into the group activities. In this article, the key principles and structures of cooperative learning as well as the benefits of using cooperative learning are discussed. Some suggestions on the use of cooperative learning, together with classroom examples are also presented.

What is Cooperative Learning?
As a teacher, you might have observed that your students can get into groups naturally for interactive play during recess. They can display a high level of engagement and this may prompt you to think of introducing group work in your primary social studies lessons to maximise your students’ interest and learning. However, just by having students in groups and expecting them to work together do not mean that learning will necessarily take place. To ensure learning is productive, you need to integrate elements of cooperative learning into group activities. Cooperative learning is an umbrella term for a set of instructional models that requires students to work and interact together in small groups for the promotion of individual and group members’ learning (Kagan, 1994; Morton 2008; Slavin, 2011). Although such instructional models can vary in how cooperative learning is structured, all of them have common essential elements that make them cooperative in nature. According to Johnson and Johnson (1988, 1989, 1999a), these elements are positive interdependence, individual accountability, face-to-face promotive interaction, social skills and group processing.

a. Establishing Positive Interdependence
For cooperative learning to work, teachers need to structure positive interdependence. Students need to learn that group success depends on the efforts and success of all group members. Teachers can foster positive interdependence through goal interdependence (“Make sure you and the rest learn the materials”), reward interdependence (“Each group member will get a reward if all the group members attain 90 plus for their test”), resource interdependence (“Each one of you will receive a part of the materials”) and role interdependence (“Take on the role of either a reader, a checker, an encourager or a elaborator in your group”).

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Sim Hwee Hwang (National Institute of Education, Singapore) P. Ananthi (Woodgrove Primary School (Singapore)) Keywords Primary Social Studies Primary School Primary Social Studies Abstract This article is a continuation of the previous article entitled, “Let’s have Cooperative Learning for Lessons!” In this article, how to plan, organize and conduct productive cooperative learning in the primary social studies […]

Sim Hwee Hwang (National Institute of Education, Singapore)
P. Ananthi (Woodgrove Primary School (Singapore))

Keywords
Primary Social Studies
Primary School
Primary Social Studies

Abstract
This article is a continuation of the previous article entitled, “Let’s have Cooperative Learning for Lessons!” In this article, how to plan, organize and conduct productive cooperative learning in the primary social studies classroom will be featured. Suggestions on managing challenging student behaviours for successful cooperative learning and the assessment and reflection of such lessons are also highlighted.

Planning Cooperative Learning Lessons
Cooperative learning refers to a set of instructional modes that requires students to work and interact together in small groups for the promotion of individual and group members’ learning. It is useful in the promotion of academic achievement and the development of thinking and interpersonal skills and dispositions such as appreciation of individual differences.  When planning a cooperative learning lesson, we need to take into consideration the content, lesson objectives, concepts and generalizations, unit questions, students’ prior knowledge or experience with the topic, task(s), cooperative learning models to adopt or adapt, and resources, time and space available. These considerations are generally no different from the planning considerations for other non-cooperative learning lessons. But the big difference is that for cooperative learning lessons, cooperative learning structures or models are integrated into the lessons.

For primary social studies teachers attempting to incorporate cooperative learning into their lessons for the first time, it is best to select a familiar lesson or topic so that they can focus on mastering the cooperative learning model and process and not the lesson content (Abrami, Chambers, Poulsen, De Simone, D’ Appolonia & Howden, 1995). Before choosing the cooperative learning model, it would serve them well to ask the question, “Would group work help my students achieve the academic goals and develop particular social skills?” If the answer is yes, then consider the appropriate type of structure or model to use. Alternatively, they can modify an existing structure or model. Refer to Strategy Example 1 in the article entitled, “Let’s Have Cooperative Learning for Lessons!” They should start with simple informal cooperative learning structures such as think-pair share, round robin or numbered-heads-together before moving to more complex models like the Jigsaw, Group Investigation and Structured Academic Controversy which require more planning, are more demanding and are more suited for upper primary students. When complex models are adopted, it is important to ensure that the content chosen is substantial and challenging to offer students scope for self-directed, independent and constructive learning with their peers.

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Sim Hwee Hwang (National Institute of Education, Singapore) Keywords Social Studies Primary School Social Studies Abstract This article looks at how primary school children can learn about issues in their social studies lessons through discussion. It first spells out the importance of introducing issues in the social studies curriculum for the development of students to be […]

Sim Hwee Hwang (National Institute of Education, Singapore)

Keywords
Social Studies
Primary School
Social Studies

Abstract
This article looks at how primary school children can learn about issues in their social studies lessons through discussion. It first spells out the importance of introducing issues in the social studies curriculum for the development of students to be informed, participative and concerned citizens. It focuses on the selection of suitable issues for primary school children and discussion as a pedagogy for shared inquiry to help teachers achieve academic understanding and citizenship outcomes for their learners. The Walsh and Sattes’ (2015) framework for quality discussion is described as a useful guide for teacher planning and implementation. Research findings on teacher belief and practice of using discussion of controversial issues and the implications on teacher professional development are also discussed. The article concludes with how to be skilful in the facilitation of discussion of issues for shared inquiry.

Why introduce issues in primary social studies?
Children are constantly bombarded with different issues that are linked to their immediate environment, community, country and the world. An issue is something that is discussed or argued about, and these can be controversial in nature. Wellington (1986) describes a controversial issue as one which is deemed important by several people and cannot be easily settled based on evidence or facts alone because value judgments are involved. According to Perry (1999), a controversial issue has the following characteristics: the subject is of topical interest and is complex; there are differing values, opinions and priorities; and strong arousal of emotions can occur.

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Sim Hwee Hwang (National Institute of Education, Singapore) Keywords Social Studies Primary School Inquiry Teaching Abstract This article begins with the inquiry teaching approach for primary social studies and the rationale for its inclusion in the 2013 syllabus by the Ministry of Education, Singapore. It compares traditional instruction and inquiry-based teaching and describes the two types […]

Sim Hwee Hwang (National Institute of Education, Singapore)

Keywords
Social Studies
Primary School
Inquiry Teaching

Abstract
This article begins with the inquiry teaching approach for primary social studies and the rationale for its inclusion in the 2013 syllabus by the Ministry of Education, Singapore. It compares traditional instruction and inquiry-based teaching and describes the two types of inquiry that can be implemented in the primary classroom – discussion and investigation. Three useful inquiry models for primary children – Colin Marsh’s (2001) investigation model and two discussion models – Diana Hess’ (2009) town meeting model (TMM) and David Johnson and Roger Johnson’s (1999) structured academic model (SAC) – are elaborated. The application of these models is illustrated in two issue-based, inquiry centred packages designed for primary children by student teachers from the National Institute of Education. The article also discusses the challenges teachers may face when implementing such inquiry-centred packages and suggests ways of how they can be overcome.

Inquiry in primary social studies teaching
In Singapore, the primary social studies syllabus produced by the Ministry of Education (MOE, 2013) advocates inquiry as a teaching approach in schools. It is understandable why such an approach is encouraged in the context of Singapore’s development. Singapore is a knowledge-based economy (Ngiam, 2011) with strong governmental emphasis on research and substantial resources are channelled yearly to the various universities, ministries and statutory boards in advancing the country’s economy as a knowledge producer (The Straits Times, 2016). Research involves inquiry and it is never too young to start children to inquire in schools. Moreover, all children have an innate curiosity about the things around them and their incessant questioning of whys (Parker, 2012) should be tapped to promote their learning in the classroom. Inquiry can enable children to gain an enlarged understanding of the topic, problem or issue in question, develop essential skills such as critical thinking skills to evaluate the relevance, quality and strength of evidence, and to distinguish between well-reasoned and balanced arguments based on solid evidence, and acquire dispositions such as respect for diversity, empathy and perseverance and resilience in the face of challenges. Such learning outcomes can contribute towards citizenship education and participation in Singapore now and in the future. In recent years, the government has been more open to its citizens’ views on policy matters and have tweaked several of its policies on health, social and economic matters by incorporating their views. It has also encouraged greater community involvement in partnership with it to make Singapore a better and a more inclusive home for all of its people (The Straits Times, 2014). Hence, children as future leaders of the country will be well prepared for their citizenship roles if they start from young to learn in an inquiring environment.

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Sim Hwee Hwang (National Institute of Education, Singapore) Keywords Social Studies Junior College Secondary School Primary School Social Studies Conceptual Teaching Abstract This paper looks at what conceptual teaching is about, the differences between conceptual and traditional teaching and the advantages of conceptual teaching. Different deductive and inductive approaches for teaching the big ideas of subject […]

Sim Hwee Hwang (National Institute of Education, Singapore)

Keywords
Social Studies
Junior College
Secondary School
Primary School
Social Studies
Conceptual Teaching

Abstract
This paper looks at what conceptual teaching is about, the differences between conceptual and traditional teaching and the advantages of conceptual teaching. Different deductive and inductive approaches for teaching the big ideas of subject matter, that is, the concepts and generalisations, are described. The paper also focuses on the teaching of the primary three social studies reader entitled, “Making the Little Red Dot Blue and Brown” using some of the conceptual teaching approaches mentioned. The paper concludes with the importance of teacher subject matter knowledge in conceptual teaching.

A Paradigm Shift: Conceptual Teaching for Primary Social Studies
One longstanding issue which primary social studies teachers in Singapore schools face is the challenge of content coverage, especially in the upper primary, within a tight curriculum time. As it is, the time allocation for lower primary social studies teaching is a single period of 30 minutes per week; and for upper primary, it can range from a weekly of two periods of 60 minutes (Primary 4) to three periods of 90 minutes (Primary 5 and 6) per week (CPDD, 2013). Moreover, the upper primary periods are not necessary arranged back to back for uninterrupted teaching and the periods at all levels can be scheduled just after the morning school assembly, recess or physical education or music lessons. When such periods do not end on time, the amount of time for actual social studies teaching can be reduced as time is needed for pupil movement and settling down. Some teachers worry that if they do not teach the social studies textbooks produced by the Ministry of Education (MOE) from cover to cover, they are not doing their job as teachers properly. For these teachers, the “tyranny of content coverage” is a pressing concern.

To overcome the above-mentioned challenge, one needs to rethink the way primary social studies can be taught. The paradigm shift requires one to teach conceptually but what is conceptual teaching? According to Erickson (2002, 2007, 2008), conceptual teaching or concept-based instruction as she called it goes beyond fact acquisition. It is about teaching the big ideas of a subject matter using relevant content, information or facts to support that teaching. Teachers do not have to teach all the factual content in conceptual teaching. Instead they need to select and reorganise only the relevant ones to teach these big ideas. Conceptual teaching is best achieved through inductive teaching as pupils are guided to understand the big ideas rather than through direct instruction of what these ideas are. The insights they gain from such teaching can help them retain and better transfer their learning to other contexts.

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HSSE Online Editorial The social studies scene in Singapore is rapidly evolving. Revised curricula are being rolled out together with renewed accentuation on more active and engaging pedagogies and deliberate emphasis on enabling and empowering every student to become an independent learner, a critical thinker and a culturally sensitive citizen. This edition of HSSE Online […]

Past Issues

02 Mar 2023

Volume 8, Issue 2 2019

HSSE Online Editorial

The social studies scene in Singapore is rapidly evolving. Revised curricula are being rolled out together with renewed accentuation on more active and engaging pedagogies and deliberate emphasis on enabling and empowering every student to become an independent learner, a critical thinker and a culturally sensitive citizen. This edition of HSSE Online brings together ideas from teacher educators and practitioners on student-centred pedagogies, particularly, inquiry-based learning that aim to achieve these citizenship education goals.

In the first article, Melvin Wang, Mashita Abdol Rahman, Sudheesh Balakrishna Pillai and Goh Yong Yong share a school-based case study of how primary sources can be used to create inquiry-based, student-centered learning experiences in the primary social studies curriculum. Their innovative study highlights the potential of using sources to stimulate inquiry and deepen children’s understanding of social studies content. Chee Min Fui extends the potential of using sources to stimulate children’s inquiry into culture so as to broaden and deepen their learning about that concept. She offers useful examples of enduring understandings about culture together with suggested classroom inquiry activities such as interviewing resource persons about their culture.

Inquiry outside the classroom in the form of fieldwork is the focus of the next article where Sim Hwee Hwang shares about the merits of doing fieldwork in children’s localities, identifies the different children’s localities and suggests themes for possible fieldwork.  Guidelines on how to plan such fieldwork for effective learning as well as two examples of fieldwork in children’s localities are included. The inquiry method is exemplified in Yang Peidong and Chow Lee Tat’s article in which they share the findings of a research that was carried out to find out the characteristics and experiences of immigrant teachers in mainstream Singapore primary and secondary schools. The research also focused on the practical challenges and value tensions that these immigrant teachers encounter in their professional settings.

In the final article Kho Ee Moi advocates the use of differentiated instruction so as to enable every child to learn and make sure no child falls between the cracks. The article highlights the need for differentiated instruction to manage the increasing diversity in our classrooms today and explains, with examples, how this can be carried out in the primary social studies classroom.

We hope you will be encouraged through these articles to use more inquiry-based instructional methods and differentiated instruction in the social studies classroom. Although many of the ideas shared here are centred on the primary social studies curriculum, they can easily be adopted and adapted for secondary school.

Kho Ee Moi
Sim Hwee Hwang
Chee Min Fui

Editors, HSSE Online

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HSSE Online EDITORIAL This special edition of primary social studies for HSSE Online focuses on the what, the why and the how of social studies

Past Issues

02 Mar 2023

Volume 6, Issue 2 2017

HSSE Online EDITORIAL

This special edition of primary social studies for HSSE Online focuses on the what, the why and the how of social studies education for primary students. The driving force behind this issue stems from the deep conviction of the primary social studies teacher educators in HSSE that the subject must be taught meaningfully and powerfully in schools for effective citizenship education.   Meaningful and powerful teaching is necessary for our young to gain relevant knowledge and understandings of Singapore and the world, acquire essential skills and develop civic-minded values and dispositions to be informed, concerned and participative citizens. Such citizens are invaluable to the health and development of any society as they seek to exercise their agency in their varied spheres of influence to make a difference to others in the society and the complex world around them. Furthermore, social studies is the only humanities subject in the primary school curriculum and teaching it well would provide an excellent foundation for students’ further study of the humanities subjects, namely history, geography and social studies, when they proceed to secondary schools. The humanities offers us a way to understand ourselves as human beings, and the issues and challenges which we encounter in our interactions with others in myriad contexts. It benefits us through examining critical issues using multiple and varied lenses, through discourses amongst various communities and fostering critical reasoning about human values and traditions.

In this issue, the nine articles, organized around three themes, are included to support teachers in teaching primary social studies meaningfully and powerfully. The first theme focuses on what is social studies in general, and Singapore social studies in particular. The second theme revolves around what to teach in primary social studies and how to teach it. The final theme is on how to organize students for effective group learning of primary social studies in a social constructivist classroom.

Under the first theme, the article by Susan Adler and Kho Ee Moi explores the nature and purpose of social studies for citizenship education with the aim of showing the relevance and importance of teaching the subject well. They discuss teachers’ orientations towards the subject and highlight some key knowledge, skills and values essential to developing young people to become informed, concerned and participative citizens and provide some examples of what effective lessons may look like. The next article by Kho Ee Moi focuses on social studies as citizenship education in Singapore. Her article examines how social studies in Singapore has evolved over the years from “moulding” citizens to developing critical thinkers.

Under the second theme, the article by Susan Adler and Kho Ee Moi discusses how teachers can enhance student understanding through planning instruction around big ideas which refer to the key concepts and generalizations that underpin the curriculum. Under the same theme, Doreen Tan and Sim Hwee Hwang examine what is history and geography respectively and suggest how the core concepts and skills in these two disciplines can be taught in the primary social studies classroom.  Also under the same theme, Sim Hwee Hwang highlights the power of stories in teaching social studies effectively and elaborates on three teaching approaches, namely, the shared book approach, the integrated biographical inquiry and storytelling, for integrating stories in class. Chua Shuyi extends on the power of stories and storytelling in the classroom by showcasing four stories told in secondary classrooms to illustrate the possible variety of purposes of storytelling. Although these stories were observed in secondary classrooms, Shuyi shows how these can have applications in primary social studies as well.       

Under the third theme, Sim Hwee Hwang and P. Ananthi point out that putting children into groups does not necessarily guarantee that productive and meaningful learning will take place. They argue that it is important to structure the elements of cooperative learning into the group activities. In their first article on cooperative learning, they describe the key principles, structures and benefits of cooperative learning, and illustrate with some classroom examples to show how the integration of cooperative learning can be achieved. In their second article, they elaborate on how to plan, organize and conduct productive cooperative learning for teaching primary social studies. Suggestions on how to manage challenging student behaviours for successful cooperative learning and the assessment and reflection of such lessons are also highlighted. 

Sim Hwee Hwang
Chee Min Fui
Kho Ee Moi
Editors, HSSE Online

What is Social Studies?

Susan Adler (University of Missouri-Kansas City) Kho Ee Moi (National Institute of Education, Singapore) Keywords Primary Social Studies Primary School Primary Social Studies Abstract This paper explores

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What is History Teaching?

H Doreen Tan (Singapore International School (Hong Kong)) Keywords Primary Social Studies Primary School Primary Social Studies Abstract This article looks at the nature of history

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