Levels

Exploring Controversial Issues in the Primary Social Studies Classroom

Wang Yao Chang Melvin (Rosyth School (Singapore) Keywords>Primary Social StudiesPrimary SchoolControversial IssuesClassroom IntroductionThe curriculum is an inextricable part of what prolific author and cultural critic Raymond Williams refers to as the “selective tradition” of schooling (Williams, 1977). What this means is that through the very selection of what is taught in school, only certain knowledge and […]

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Taming “Issue Investigation”: Singapore Secondary Social Studies Teachers’ Accounts of Challenges Encountered and Strategies for Coping

Peidong Yang (National Institute of Education (Singapore)) Keywords Social Studies Junior College Secondary School Social Studies social studies education Singapore teacher professional learning Introduction The upper-secondary Social Studies (SS) syllabus (Express/Normal-Academic) released in Singapore in 2016 introduced a component called “Issue Investigation” (II). Speaking to the target learners, the SS textbook defines and explains II as

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Environmental Education in Singapore: An Analysis of Environmental Knowledge in the Lower Secondary Geography Curriculum

Yee Jie Ying (National Institute of Education (Singapore)) Keywords Geography Junior College Secondary School Environmental education Introduction Curricula Goals of Environmental Education Environmental education (EE) was first developed at a time when environmental degradation became widely prominent (UNESCO, 1976). EE becomes even more relevant today as we are ever pressured by pressing environmental issues such as

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Backtracking towards a Transformative Rizal Curriculum

Ysabel Julia M. Ortiz (National Institute of Education (Singapore) Keywords Junior College Secondary School Jose Rizal curriculum as political text critical pedagogy curriculum as autobiographical/biographical text Introduction Since 1956, Republic Act 1425, otherwise known as the Rizal Law, has mandated the teaching of the life and works of Philippine national hero, Jose Rizal, in all public

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Where Literacy Meets Geography: Using Talk Moves to Engage Students in Geographical Data

Lin Yunqing (National Institute of Education (Singapore) Keywords Geography Junior College Secondary School pedagogy Student Learning Introduction The theoretical foundation of this study is social constructivism which believes that knowledge is produced and constructed in a social setting. This socialcultural perspective emphasises that literacy is shaped by social practices (Moje, 1996) and serves the purpose of

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Centering the Periphery: Giving Students’ Voice and Choice

Siti Dzhawieyah (Elias Park Primary School (Singapore) Keywords Primary Primary School education social studies education In April 2019, I carried out an action research study with a class of High Ability Primary 6 students to understand how to better engage students in a Social Studies class through discussion of controversial issues. Based upon my observations, these

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Commentary: Inquiry-based Learning and Teaching

Baildon, Mark (National Institute of Education (Singapore) Keywords Social Studies Junior College Secondary School inquiry base Why inquiry-based learning? Inquiry-based learning (IBL) is now considered the gold standard in curriculum and classroom practice. If we consider inquiry to be the methodical building of evidence-based claims and arguments, it is central to authentic intellectual work, disciplinary reasoning,

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The “Black Rain” – A Re-assessment on the Dropping of “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” on Japan

Goh Chor Boon (National Institute of Education, Singapore) Keywords History Junior College Secondary School History In 1965, Masuji Ibuse, a native son of Hiroshima, published his Black Rain (Kuroi Ame).[i] The novel is masterful reconstruction of death from radiation sickness based on the diary of a Hiroshima survivor plus interviews with some 50 hibakusha or victims of the atomic holocaust. Ibuse’s

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Assessing Historical Discussion

Barton, Keith C. (Indiana University) Keywords History Junior College Secondary School pedagogy Discussion can be a valuable element of history classrooms, and assessing participation can provide an important means of improving students’ engagement in this valuable form of communication. Doing so requires that teachers identify the specific skills of historical discussion that they want students to

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Assessment for Learning in History: Maximizing Error Analysis to bridge students’ learning gaps in answering Source-Based Case Study Questions

Ong Daphne Rachel (Broadrick Secondary School (Singapore)) Keywords History Junior College Secondary School Approaches to teaching history Assessment Introduction Source-Based Case Study (SBCS) is a compulsory part of the formal history assessment in Singapore. It falls under Assessment Objective 3 which requires students to “interpret and evaluate source material” (MOE, 2013). Since this is an important

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