1. Singapore Education System. 3. Secondary School Science Curriculum.

Transcription

1 Training of Secondary School Mathematics and Science Teachers in Singapore Wong Khoon Yoong Head, Math and Math Education Academic Group National Institute of Education Nanyang Technological l University it Singapore khoonyoong.wong@nie.edu.sg

2 1. Singapore Education System. 2. Secondary School Mathematics Curriculum. Synopsis 3. Secondary School Science Curriculum. 4. Pre-service Teacher Education at NIE. 5. Research in Teacher Education for Mathematics and Science. 6. Link Pre-Service to In-Service Training. 2

3 Useful Websites Singapore Ministry of Education: Structure, syllabuses, education statistics, etc. Singapore Examinations & Assessment Board: Examination syllabuses, formats, timetable, etc. g NIE teacher education programme handbooks s/load.do?id=foundation 3

4 Singapore Education System 3 5 years Pre-School (Informal) 6 9 years Primary: Foundation stage P1 P years Primary: Orientation stage: Subject Banding P5 P6; PSLE years Lower Secondary S1 S2 Special/Express; Normal (Academic); Normal (Technical) years Upper Secondary: S3 S4 Special/Express (Arts, Commerce, Science); O Level years Upper Secondary: Normal (Academic); S3 S4 NLevel Normal (Technical) years Pre-university at Junior JC1 JC2; CI1 CI3 Colleges or Centralised A Level Institute (CI) Polytechnic 3 years Diploma Institute of Technical 1 2 years after O or N Education (ITE) Level; vocational 19 University N5; OLevel 4

5 Singapore Education: Basic Data Level Schools Students Teachers S:T Female Graduates Pri ,261 12, Sec ,063 11, PreU 14 28,901 2, Total ,225 26, About 400 expatriate teachers. Well qualified teachers. 5

6 School Mathematics Curriculum Framework Kilpatrick, Swafford, & Findell (2001): Five strands of mathematical proficiency 6

7 School Mathematics Curriculum Math is compulsory from P1 to JC2. Secondary schools: Express: 3.5 hours per week Normal: 4.6 hours per week 40 weeks per year. Science students at S3 & S4: One more Math course (Additional Math). Curriculum white space : Allow teachers to use more engaging approaches. 7

8 School Science Curriculum Framework Students as Inquirers. Teachers as Leaders of Inquiry. 8

9 From Primary 3. School Science Curriculum Lower Secondary: General science. Upper Secondary: Depend on availability. Pure Sciences: Biology, Chemistry or Physics. Combined Science: Physics/Chemistry; Physics/Biology; Chemistry/Biology. Express: 4 hours per week. Normal: 3.5 hours per week. Curriculum white space. 9

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11 National Institute of Education (NIE) Sole teacher training institute in Singapore, changes since1950. An autonomous institute of Nanyang Technological University. Close tripartite tit relations with Ministry i of Education and Schools. 11

12 Academic staff: % with PhD 24% with Master's degree 5% with Bachelor's degree NIE: Staff and Students 15% are expatriates; global perspectives Research staff: 123 Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice (CRPP); Learning Sciences Laboratory (LSL); edu sg/index html Student population: 5,140 full-time equivalent students (FTE); 69% female. 12

13 Pre-service Programmes 1. Dip Ed (2 years): Primary. 2. BA (Ed) or BSc (Ed) (4 years): Primary or Secondary. 3. PGDE (1 year): Primary or Secondary. A VKS Conceptual Framework. Vl Values Knowledge Skills Belief that all pupils can learn. Care and concern for all pupils. Knowledge of educational contexts. Pedagogical skills. Interpersonal skills. Respect for diversity. Knowledge of content. Reflective skills. Commitment and dedication to the profession. Knowledge of curriculum. Knowledge of pupils. Personal skills. Administrative and Collaboration, sharing and team spirit. Knowledge of pedagogy. gy management skills. Desire for continuous learning, Knowledge of self. excellence and innovation. 13

14 Recruitment of Trainee Teachers MOE recruits trainee teachers as untrained teachers based on criteria determined by MOE and NIE. Degree: Receive monthly salary for first two years; for years 3 & 4, receive stipend or on no-pay leave. PGDE: Receive monthly salary throughout. MOE pays all fees for trainees to NIE. After graduating from NIE, trainees become trained teachers in MOE; no further certification required. 14

15 A-level or Polytechnic Diploma. Bachelor of Science (Ed) 4 years, direct Honours; small cohort. 131 Academic Units (AU). One major and one minor academic area, e.g., Physics + Math Academic Studies: 39 AU (major), 24 AU (minor) (standard disciplines); Science AS: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Family & Consumer Sciences. Curriculum Studies: 12 AU per teaching area (pedagogy). gy) Other courses and practicum. 15

16 Postgraduate Diploma in Ed (Secondary) Relevant Bachelor degree. 1 year, big cohort (1000+). 40 Academic Units (AU). One major and one minor teaching area, e.g., Physics + Math. Curriculum Studies: 9 AU per teaching area (pedagogy). Other courses and practicum. 16

17 Content Upgrading for PGDE (S) Math Trainees All trainees, All Secondary or Lower Secondary. School Math Mastery Test (since 2003); O Level math topics at mastery level. Three attempts. A few face-to-face sessions + online self- study; edu html In-service courses in contents; optional. 17

18 Those who: Content Upgrading for PGDE (S) Science Trainees obtain their relevant degrees greater than five years prior to enrolling into the NIE. do not study the relevant science disciplines or subjects at the tertiary level. Conducted prior to start of program, at first year university level: Physics: QUP511 Thermal Physics & Mechanics; QUP512 Optics and Electricity & Magnetism. Face-to-face and e-learning. In-service courses in contents; optional. 18

19 Mathematics Curriculum Studies Locally developed resource book for teaching secondary school math; McGraw Hill Education; html Math Lab for trainees to develop pedagogical g skills. 19

20 Science Curriculum Studies Varieties of teaching techniques. Experiential learning; field trips overseas, research project modules (degree and PGDE). Phuket Marine Biological i l Center, Thailand 20

21 Research on Math Teacher Preparation No research linking secondary math teacher preparation to student achievement. Some research in Math Education: TEDS-M (Teacher Education and Development Study: Math), IEA Math PCK of primary trainee teachers Classroom observations Analysis of math textbooks Math problem solving, heuristics, investigations. Alternative assessment of math learning IT in math education; GSP; graphics calculators 21

22 TEDS-M (Teacher Education Study in Mathematics) No links from teacher training to students learning. 22

23 TEDS-M Participating Countries Botswana Chile Georgia Malaysia Norway Philippines Russia Spain Thailand Canada Chinese Taipei Germany Mexico Oman Poland Singapore Switzerland United States 23

24 Research on Science Teacher Preparation Mainly graduate work: Understanding of the subject matter knowledge and alternative conceptions. Development of pedagogical content knowledge. Use of ICT in science education. Reflective learning and metacognition. Science process skills. 24

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26 Link Pre-Service to In-Service Professional Development Continuum Model (PDCM). 26

27 Graduate Courses M Ed, specialisation in Math Education or Science Education (Coursework or Coursework + Dissertation). M Sc (Math for Educators) (Coursework). M.Sc. Life Sciences (Coursework). MA(Research (Research, MathEdorScienceEd) Ed). M Sc (Research). Ph D (Research, Math, Math Ed, Science, Science Ed). 27

28 Thank you 28