Social Studies and Citizenship Education Archives

Index

Aloysius Foo

Social Studies and Citizenship Education

“Neighbourhood Schools” and Their Positive Forms of Capital in Singapore

Author/s:

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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“This Is What Social Studies Can Look Like”: Adapting Recent Work in Singapore Studies for The SS Classroom

Author/s:

Pang Wei Han

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

Author/s:

Peidong Yang

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 […]

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 follows:

An Issue Investigation encourages you to identify a societal issue to develop a response to. A societal issue is one that is of concern to society and people have points of view about. An Issue Investigation allows you to analyse factors and perspectives that shape the development of societal issues. Through the course of the investigation, your group will also understand the impact the selected societal issue has on society and develop possible responses and recommendations to address the issue. (Ministry of Education, 2016a, p. 367)

In terms of carrying out II, the textbook prescribes a four-stage cycle: (1) sparking curiosity; (2) gathering data; (3) exercising reasoning; (4) reflective thinking. It thus seems that II is positioned as an inquiry-driven learning activity that helps students gain analytical insights into pertinent societal issues, which in turn serve the broader objective of Social Studies to develop learners into “informed, concerned and participative citizens” (Ministry of Education, 2016a, p. iii).

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Centering the Periphery: Giving Students’ Voice and Choice

Author/s:

Siti Dzhawieyah

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 […]

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 students demonstrated behaviors that showed they were disengaged during the monthly lesson on current affairs known as News Sharing. During News Sharing class, students were typically given an adapted news article chosen by me with a set of questions that tested mainly their comprehension of the article, the relevance of the article to National Education (NE) messages and how they might contribute to society based on the issue featured in the article. I felt that the formulaic nature of the lesson defeated the aim of News Sharing which was initially introduced with the purpose of improving students’ general knowledge about the world and Singapore. The lesson eventually resulted in an English language comprehension class where discussion was minimal and almost perfunctory.

I was quite dissatisfied with the state of affairs as it ran counter to my vision of what a Social Studies class should be and my transformative role as a Social Studies teacher. I felt as if I was oppressing my students, viewing them simply as empty receptacles waiting to be filled up by content. It was an untenable situation. Upon further probing, these students shared that they would like for the lesson to be changed, especially on the topics that were discussed as well as the approach. They expressed the desire to discuss topics that were of interest to them instead of those chosen by the teacher. Among the topics that they suggested were meritocracy, issues on foreign talents, gender inequalities as well as academic demands. I took their suggestions to heart and began to search for a better approach to discuss these topics. I also decided to frame the issues in a way where they could be controversial in nature and thus invite livelier discussion. Furthermore, this was an area that I felt merited further investigation since findings from this action research would have implications for other Social Studies teachers who might be interested to find out how they could introduce controversial issues as a way to engage their primary school students.

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Provoking Inquiry: The Use of Primary Sources in the Primary Social Studies Classroom

Author/s:

Wang Yao Chang Melvin

Wang Yao Chang Melvin (Rosyth School (Singapore) Mashita Abdol Rahman (Rosyth School (Singapore) Sudheesh Balakrishna Pillai (Rosyth School (Singapore) Goh Yong Yong (Rosyth School (Singapore) Keywords primary social studies Social Studies Primary School Social Studies Resources Introduction Many social studies teachers are aware of the immense educational value of primary sources of information. When used effectively, original source documents […]

Wang Yao Chang Melvin (Rosyth School (Singapore)
Mashita Abdol Rahman (Rosyth School (Singapore)
Sudheesh Balakrishna Pillai (Rosyth School (Singapore)
Goh Yong Yong (Rosyth School (Singapore)

Keywords
primary social studies
Social Studies
Primary School
Social Studies Resources

Introduction
Many social studies teachers are aware of the immense educational value of primary sources of information. When used effectively, original source documents in the form of letters, personal diaries or photographs of historical artefacts can enhance students’ engagement (Bober, 2019), arouse their interest by helping them visualise the past (Levstik & Barton, 2015) and develop a deeper understanding of different perspectives to historical narratives (Morgan & Rasinski, 2012). They can also be used in inquiry-based learning experiences to develop critical thinking in students (Barton, 2018). These benefits are aligned with the goals of the Primary Social Studies Syllabus which seeks to develop every child to become “an informed citizen” capable of critically evaluating information, considering multiple perspectives and exercising discernment in formulating well-reasoned conclusions (MOE, 2012, p 2).

Despite the obvious benefits and clear alignment to the goals of primary social studies education, it is not uncommon to find teachers shying away from using primary sources in the classroom, preferring to rely on the textbook to achieve curriculum outcomes. Even when primary sources are being used, they are mostly used to substantiate textbook narratives. Teachers’ hesitance to use primary sources in the classroom can be attributed to two key reasons: a lack of familiarity with using primary sources as a pedagogical tool (Berson & Berson, 2014) and the perception that it places high demands on students’ cognitive resources (Blow, 1990).

With this context in mind, this article will explore how primary sources can be easily utilised to create inquiry-based, student-centred learning experiences to engage Primary Five students learning about ancient civilisations. The discussion of this approach will hopefully encourage more teachers to tap on this powerful but underutilised pedagogical tool to enrich and excite young learners in the social studies classroom.

This article will start by clarifying what exactly is a primary source. It will then proceed to describe the Reading like a Historian approach and the See, Think, Wonder approach, which were applied to teach students how to formulate well-reasoned inferences corroborated by evidence drawn from primary sources, following which, this article will find out how primary sources of information have impacted student learning and teaching practice before concluding with the key considerations of using original documents in primary social studies teaching.

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Teaching The Enduring Understandings About Culture in Primary Social Studies

Author/s:

Chee Min Fui

Chee Min Fui (National Institute of Education) Keywords primary social studies Primary School Teaching understanding about Culture Introduction Educating the young for multicultural understanding and social cohesion are amongst the most important goals of Social Studies. In the primary school curriculum Social Studies is the school subject with the most potential to help students develop understandings […]

Chee Min Fui (National Institute of Education)

Keywords
primary social studies
Primary School
Teaching understanding about Culture

Introduction
Educating the young for multicultural understanding and social cohesion are amongst the most important goals of Social Studies. In the primary school curriculum Social Studies is the school subject with the most potential to help students develop understandings about the complexities of cultural diversity. What is culture? Why are societies or communities different or similar? How can we understand and appreciate our differences? How can diversity be a source of strength rather than a potential for conflict? These are important questions that Social Studies educators must grapple with. In an increasingly interconnected world, Social Studies needs to contribute to the understanding of multiple perspectives from diverse cultures.

It is commonly understood that the population of Singapore is usually classified into three ‘races’ – Chinese, Malay, Indian – and a fourth category known as “Others”. “Others” is a catch-all category meant for those who do not fit neatly into the Chinese, Malay and Indian categories. This categorization is popularly shortened into the acronym CMIO. Racial classification is a legacy of the British colonial administration (Tan, 2004). The CMIO categorization serves to define and order the culture of the different ‘races’ as each group is ascribed a specific culture with its attendant artefacts, festivals, and artistic expressions (Matthews, 2018). Anecdotal evidence suggest that the teaching of identity and culture are closely linked to this racial categorization and dominated by concrete representations especially food, fashion and festival. According to Banks (2001) and Nieto (2000), the approach emphasizing “food and festival” for multicultural understanding is easily accepted as it is safe, accessible and has a celebratory element. The celebratory element has the potential to engender positive feelings and cultivate appreciation. However, the approach can result in students or teachers approaching “ethnic and religious identities” as “special events to be taken note of on designated dates” (Matthews, 2018, p. xxiv) and may not lead to genuine understanding.

This paper would like to propose that broadening and deepening the learning of the concept of culture can help our students to understand cultural differences and similarities across different communities and to better appreciate the diversities in their midst. The paper will firstly describe the concept of culture and then propose several enduring understandings about culture that can guide curricular and instructional decisions. Finally, it will suggest two learning activities that teachers can consider to augment the food, festival and artefacts approach.

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Primary Social Studies Fieldwork in Children’s Localities and Beyond

Author/s:

Sim Hwee Hwang

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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Immigrant Teachers in Singapore Schools: Backgrounds, Integration, and Diversification

Author/s:

Yang Peidong

Yang Peidong (National Institute of Education) Chow Lee Tat (National Institute of Education) Keywords Social Studies Secondary School Primary School integration;diversity Introduction The realities of immigration and an increasingly diversifying society are significant concerns in Singapore’s national education, evinced through the considerable attention given to topics and themes related to immigration and diversity in the Social […]

Yang Peidong (National Institute of Education)
Chow Lee Tat (National Institute of Education)

Keywords
Social Studies
Secondary School
Primary School
integration;diversity

Introduction
The realities of immigration and an increasingly diversifying society are significant concerns in Singapore’s national education, evinced through the considerable attention given to topics and themes related to immigration and diversity in the Social Studies (SS) and Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) syllabi. However, the spotlight on wider societal concerns pertaining to immigration and diversity is rarely directed towards Singapore’s education system itself. One way in which immigrant diversity manifests in the education system is through the presence of teachers of migrant backgrounds, or ‘immigrant teachers’.

According to a Straits Times news article in 2011 (Ng, 2011), there were less than 620 ‘international teachers’ in Singapore schools, accounting for less than 2% of the then 31,000-strong teaching workforce. Since then, no updated figure on immigrant teachers in Singapore schools appeared to have been made publicly available, although the number as well as proportion to the entire teaching workforce are likely to have remained at a low level.

Though modest in number, having immigrant teachers in the Singapore teaching workforce is arguably significant in other ways. These teachers hail from life/career trajectories that differ significantly from teachers who are locally born-and-bred, which means they sometimes embody differences in values, beliefs and practices—at both social and professional levels—compared to their local counterparts. Yet, much like the local teachers, immigrant teachers must also carry the mantle as agents of Singapore’s national education. Thus, on the one hand, immigrant teachers potentially add diversity or difference to the Singapore school system; on the other hand, they are also expected to fit into the role of the educator and civil servant.

This article reports on an MOE-NIE funded study (OER 16/17 YPD) that explored the trajectories, identities, and integration experiences of immigrant teachers in Singapore schools. The broad research questions that guided this study included: firstly, who are the immigrant teachers in Singapore schools – namely, what demographic characteristics does this group exhibit? Secondly, what characterises the migration trajectories and experiences of these teachers? Thirdly, what are these immigrant teachers’ experiences of integration in societal and professional contexts?

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The Elected Presidency

Author/s:

Johannis Auri Bin Abdul Aziz

Johannis Auri Bin Abdul Aziz (National Institute of Education (Singapore)) Keywords Social Studies Junior College Secondary School Identity Singapore Scheduled for September, the coming presidential election is one of the most anticipated public events of 2017. While the populations of larger democratic countries have to contend with numerous regional and local elections that may cause electoral […]

Johannis Auri Bin Abdul Aziz (National Institute of Education (Singapore))

Keywords
Social Studies
Junior College
Secondary School
Identity
Singapore

Scheduled for September, the coming presidential election is one of the most anticipated public events of 2017. While the populations of larger democratic countries have to contend with numerous regional and local elections that may cause electoral fatigue, Singaporeans get to express their democratic voice only once every two to three years. This year’s election, though, is especially anticipated by the Malay community because for the first time, the presidential election will be reserved for Malays.

In an inherited Westminster parliamentary system such as ours, the Head of State usually plays a largely ceremonial role. The first four presidents after independence were appointed by Parliament and their duty was largely to play a unifying figure presiding over ceremonies and events designed to bind Singaporeans together as one people and to act as Singapore’s foremost representative to foreign states and their dignitaries. Individuals with dignity, solemnity, and a little of the common touch were the order of the day. Benjamin Sheares was a doctor, Devan Nair was a unionist and Yusof Ishak and Wee Kim Wee were both journalists.

This system was changed in January 1991, after new constitutional amendments passed by Parliament provided for the popular election of the president. The PAP government wanted to invest powers of oversight in the presidency as a check on Parliament and that called for an independent source of legitimacy direct from the people. Under these constitutional changes, the elected president was given the power to veto legislative attempts to use the national reserves, the power to appoint individuals to certain key civil service positions, and powers to oversee the enforcement of the Internal Security Act, the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act as well as the Prevention of Corruption Act by their respective executive bodies.

In November last year, constitutional provisions for the office of the president were again amended. This time the key changes were twofold. First, the 1991 requirement for private sector candidates to have helmed companies worth at least $100 million in shareholder equity was raised to $500 million. Second, the amendment provides for elections that are reserved for minority communities. A reserved election is triggered when five consecutive terms pass without a president from a particular minority community. However, these two new rules have sparked much controversy and heated debate on social media.

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Teaching Cultural Diversity and Sense of Identity in the Primary Two Social Studies Classroom in Singapore: Analysis and Critique

Author/s:

Rabiah Angullia

Rabiah Angullia (National Institute of Education (Singapore)) Keywords Primary Social Studies Primary School Identity Diversity Multicultural Education Primary Social Studies Singapore Abstract According to Rose (2016), images display the world in particular ways through “made meanings” or representations that are socially and culturally constructed. Visual images form part of teaching resources used in classrooms and hence […]

Rabiah Angullia (National Institute of Education (Singapore))

Keywords
Primary Social Studies
Primary School
Identity
Diversity
Multicultural Education
Primary Social Studies
Singapore

Abstract
According to Rose (2016), images display the world in particular ways through “made meanings” or representations that are socially and culturally constructed. Visual images form part of teaching resources used in classrooms and hence play an important role in the construction of knowledge for children. This paper examines how cultural diversity and identity are taught in Singapore in order to understand the extent to which it fosters or hinders the understanding of the complexities of cultural diversity and identity through a curriculum critique of the reader New Girl in Town which is used within Primary Two classrooms as a teaching resource for cultural appreciation. Through semiology as critical visual methodology, this study examines how dominant ideologies of cultural diversity and identity as defined by the state are represented and reinforced through the images presented in the reader. Key findings from this study highlight the implications of representing cultural diversity and identity as static and non-complex constructions of individuals and the extent to which it hinders the understanding of cultural diversity and identity.

Introduction
This paper explores the way visuals used as part of instructional materials in the social studies curriculum embody ideologies of diversity. This perception is based on views held by key thinkers within visual culture methodologies, such as Gillian Rose who asserts that “images offer views of the world; but this rendering…is never innocent” (Rose, 2016, p. 2). According to Rose (2016), images display the world in particular ways through “made meanings” or representations that are socially and culturally constructed.

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HSSE Online

Index

Aloysius Foo

Authors List

Authors List

“Neighbourhood Schools” and Their Positive Forms of Capital in Singapore

“This Is What Social Studies Can Look Like”: Adapting Recent Work in Singapore Studies for The SS Classroom

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

Centering the Periphery: Giving Students’ Voice and Choice

Provoking Inquiry: The Use of Primary Sources in the Primary Social Studies Classroom

Teaching The Enduring Understandings About Culture in Primary Social Studies

Primary Social Studies Fieldwork in Children’s Localities and Beyond

Immigrant Teachers in Singapore Schools: Backgrounds, Integration, and Diversification

The Elected Presidency

Teaching Cultural Diversity and Sense of Identity in the Primary Two Social Studies Classroom in Singapore: Analysis and Critique

HSSE Online

HSSE Online