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Tan Qian Hui

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Junior College

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Author/s:
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Tan Qian Hui (Asia Research Institute(Singapore)) Tricia Seow (National Institute of Education(Singapore)) Keywords Geography Junior College Secondary School Sustainability education should not only strive for pedagogical excellence, but also the formulation of transformative pedagogies. Whereas sustainability education denotes the transmission of sustainability-related content, the pedagogical or praxis-oriented dimension of sustainability education involves the curation of a conducive […]

Tan Qian Hui (Asia Research Institute(Singapore))
Tricia Seow (National Institute of Education(Singapore))

Keywords
Geography
Junior College
Secondary School

Sustainability education should not only strive for pedagogical excellence, but also the formulation of transformative pedagogies. Whereas sustainability education denotes the transmission of sustainability-related content, the pedagogical or praxis-oriented dimension of sustainability education involves the curation of a conducive learning environment supported by an educator’s teaching philosophy (Hegarty and Holdsworth 2015; Taimur 2020). For instance, the Sustainability Learning Lab at NIE has devised signature pedagogies for sustainability education that are informed by a critical philosophy and actualised vis-a-vis a three pronged approach, that of (i) inquiry-based learning (with a focus on taking action), (ii) place-based learning (including field work and/or field-based learning) and (iii) technologically-enabled learning (through the use of, for example, Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing).

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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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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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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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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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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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Aloysius Foo (National Institute of Education (Singapore)) Keywords Social Studies Junior College Secondary School Social Studies social studies education Singapore teacher professional learning   While the term “neighbourhood school” is popularly used in Singaporean parlance as well as by academics to describe a typical, government-run school, it has not been subjected to close scrutiny. Using Pierre […]

Aloysius Foo (National Institute of Education (Singapore))

Keywords
Social Studies
Junior College
Secondary School
Social Studies
social studies education
Singapore
teacher professional learning

 

While the term “neighbourhood school” is popularly used in Singaporean parlance as well as by academics to describe a typical, government-run school, it has not been subjected to close scrutiny. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of different forms of capital and capital conversion, this article situates neighbourhood schools within Singapore’s stratified educational landscape.

Although these schools lack the privileges and recognition of elite schools, their students possess and mobilise their own forms of cultural, symbolic and emotional capital which empower them. This article is relevant for socially-conscious educators, Social Studies teachers and curriculum specialists who are keen to explore the notion of “diversity” through education and social class.

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Pang Wei Han(Raffles Institution (Singapore)) Keywords Social Studies Secondary School Social Studies social studies education Singapore teacher professional learning According to the Upper Secondary (Express/Normal Academic) Social Studies Teaching and Learning Guide, dynamic content “refers to knowledge needed for students to amplify and deepen their understanding of the core content” and “can take the form […]

Pang Wei Han(Raffles Institution (Singapore))
Keywords
Social Studies
Secondary School
Social Studies
social studies education
Singapore
teacher professional learning

According to the Upper Secondary (Express/Normal Academic) Social Studies Teaching and Learning Guide, dynamic content “refers to knowledge needed for students to amplify and deepen their understanding of the core content” and “can take the form of examples found in the Coursebook, or can be examples derived from discussions and explorations students undertake in school and outside of school” (Ministry of Education, 2015, p. 12). This review article was conceptualised with the intention of supporting Social Studies educators by supplementing their toolkit of dynamic content and sources. In addition to presenting an overview of three recently-published texts in the field of Singapore Studies, I will draw linkages with key concepts in the SS curriculum and suggest potential pedagogical approaches to leveraging these texts in the classroom. In keeping with the renewed emphasis on Character and Citizenship Education (CCE), I also remark on how the texts can tie in with various CCE strands, including Values-in-Action, Education and Career Guidance, and discussion of contemporary issues.

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Fatema Anis Hussain (National Institute of Education (Singapore)) Keywords Social Studies Secondary School An inquiry-based approach in the classroom equips students with discipline-based skills, thus facilitating knowledge construction (Kidman & Casinader, 2017). In view of the curricular focus in Singapore on developing students’ critical and reflective thinking skills via inquiry (MOE, 2016a), this article illustrates […]

Fatema Anis Hussain (National Institute of Education (Singapore))

Keywords
Social Studies
Secondary School

An inquiry-based approach in the classroom equips students with discipline-based skills, thus facilitating knowledge construction (Kidman & Casinader, 2017). In view of the curricular focus in Singapore on developing students’ critical and reflective thinking skills via inquiry (MOE, 2016a), this article illustrates teachers’ enactment of inquiry processes in secondary Social Studies lessons, drawing on data from a baseline study. Analysis of teacher interviews and student focus group discussions yields insights into the possibilities and challenges of employing inquiry-based learning. The article spotlights teacher-student interactions in one particular lesson as students ascertain the reliability of the given sources. The analysis reveals teachers’ pragmatic, fit-for-purpose approach to selecting key aspects of inquiry-based learning, which is largely driven by time constraints and concerns about syllabus coverage and students’ assessment outcomes. These findings suggest the need for greater student agency in the inquiry process as well as more opportunities for students’ critical and reflective thinking, and domain-specific understandings.

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Related Teaching Materials

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 Appendix A 154 KB
 Appendix B 132 KB
Author/s:
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Peidong Yang (National Institute of Education (Singapore)) Jun Yan Chua (Dunearn Secondary School (Singapore)) Keywords Social Studies Secondary School Social Studies social studies education Singapore teacher professional learning Inquiry-based learning has gained prominence in secondary-school humanities education in Singapore in recent years. In Social Studies (SS), the loci of inquiry learning are “Issue Investigation” as […]

Peidong Yang (National Institute of Education (Singapore))
Jun Yan Chua (Dunearn Secondary School (Singapore))
Keywords
Social Studies
Secondary School
Social Studies
social studies education
Singapore
teacher professional learning

Inquiry-based learning has gained prominence in secondary-school humanities education in Singapore in recent years. In Social Studies (SS), the loci of inquiry learning are “Issue Investigation” as found in the 2016 Express and Normal (Academic) syllabus and “Performance Task” in the 2014/15 Normal (Technical) syllabus, respectively. Due to the relatively short time inquiry has been given explicit emphasis, to date research into this new aspect of SS education remains very limited. This paper focuses on an important yet often neglected step of the SS inquiry process—the development of inquiry questions. To explore how different ways of crafting the SS inquiry question may lead to distinct inquiry approaches and processes, a taxonomy of SS inquiry questions is proposed based on empirical observations. The taxonomy comprises three categories of questions: the “politician’s question”, the “social worker’s question”, and the “social scientist’s question”. The implications and applications of this taxonomy for SS instruction are also discussed with reference to the multi-faceted aims of SS education in Singapore.

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