Social Studies Archives

Index

Aloysius Foo

Social Studies

“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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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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Storytelling in the Social Studies Classroom

Author/s:

Chua Shuyi

Chua Shuyi (National Institute of Education (Singapore)) Keywords Social Studies Secondary School Primary School Social Studies; Social Studies Education; Singapore; Teacher Professional Learning Introduction Many teachers tell stories. They take a story, whether their own or another’s, and turn it into the experience of their listeners (Benjamin, 1968). The story, which relates events that have happened, […]

Chua Shuyi (National Institute of Education (Singapore))

Keywords
Social Studies
Secondary School
Primary School
Social Studies; Social Studies Education; Singapore; Teacher Professional Learning

Introduction
Many teachers tell stories. They take a story, whether their own or another’s, and turn it into the experience of their listeners (Benjamin, 1968). The story, which relates events that have happened, stands in contrast against other types of telling such as a description, exposition or argument, which are commonly associated with social studies education. Stories are pervasive and powerful. They communicate experiences and information in a manner that entices listeners and encourages responses. In fact, some believe that storytelling is a pan-global phenomenon, unique to all cultures in the human race (White, 1980). It is not surprising that many teachers tell stories in their classrooms, for stories are profound experiences for learners of every level. Stories can be told spontaneously according to a teacher’s gut feelings or in a planned manner such as a premeditated sharing of a story from the textbook. In this article, I will demonstrate how stories have been used by social studies teachers to achieve various citizenship aims and suggest that stories have an important place in the teacher’s pedagogical toolbox.

When do teachers tell stories? For many teachers, the magic is in the moment. Many do not plan to tell stories, but tell them as the opportunity arises (see Jackson, 1995). Yet, for others, story materials are deliberately chosen and weaved into their lesson plans to achieve specific purposes (Egan, 1986). Why do teachers tell stories? Stories have a privileged status among the different types of information as they are easy to comprehend and remember, not only because people pay close attention to them, but also because of something inherent in the story structure that makes them so (Willingham, 2004). They are carriers of values and knowledge that can be put to use both in school and beyond (Hensel & Rasco, 1992). Lastly, stories are not only good for transmitting knowledge but they are also the knowledge we want students to have (Jackson, 1995). Knowing particular stories make us part of a community. Whether or not one agrees with it, it would be surprising for a Singaporean not to know “The Singapore Story”, the tale of Singapore’s rapid transformation from third world to first under the governance of the People’s Action Party (PAP).

Learning about Issues through Discussion in the Primary Social Studies Classroom: A Shared Inquiry Approach

Author/s:

Sim Hwee Hwang

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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Conceptual Teaching in Primary Social Studies: Teaching the Primary Three Reader,“Making the Little Red Dot Blue and Brown” in a Conceptual Way

Author/s:

Sim Hwee Hwang

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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Index

Aloysius Foo

Authors List

Authors List

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

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

Storytelling in the Social Studies Classroom

Learning about Issues through Discussion in the Primary Social Studies Classroom: A Shared Inquiry Approach

Conceptual Teaching in Primary Social Studies: Teaching the Primary Three Reader,“Making the Little Red Dot Blue and Brown” in a Conceptual Way

HSSE Online

HSSE Online