A student-centred classroom – one of the key tenets of progressive education – prioritizes autonomy and moves away from conventional teaching methods by emphasizing collaboration and prioritizing student voices. In such an environment, meaningful conversations between students and teachers about the learning process are central, fostering a more interactive and personalized approach to education. In this article, NIE Senior Education Research Scientist Dr Wong Lung Hsiang sheds some light on how meaningful learning occurs when students are intentionally guided to explore, adapt and refine their own ideas through his research study on Student-Generated Ideas.

Classroom Engagement as a Priority

Numerous research studies in Singapore have revealed that many teachers tend to unconsciously prioritize efficiency by steering students toward the correct answers, rather than fostering deeper (socio-)cognitive engagement and exploration. This persists despite the Ministry of Education’s emphasis on cultivating 21st century competencies (21CC) as a core focus of education.

“There are classrooms with the tendency to focus on getting the correct answer rather than the process of learning itself,” Dr Wong Lung Hsiang, who is from the Office of Education Research at NIE, shares. This restricts students’ ability to explore, adapt and refine their ideas – key skills essential for authentic learning and innovation. Traditional methods often focus on predetermined outcomes, expecting students to arrive at specific answers.

“A transformation in teachers’ and students’ beliefs and dispositions towards teaching and learning is needed to ensure such critical success factors are genuinely exercised in existing and future pedagogical approaches.”

Student-Generated Ideas (SGIs) 

This inspired him to shift the teaching paradigm from knowledge transmission to idea transformation through a research study on Student-Generated Ideas (SGIs), a pedagogical concept that highlights how crucial the role of student-led ideas is in their learning. Through his research, Lung Hsiang aims to empower teachers to design lessons where students’ contributions shape the direction of their learning.

“SGIs place students’ ideas at the core of the learning process. Through encouraging continuous feedback and iteration, SGIs enable students to refine their ideas over time,” Lung Hsiang explains. This fosters a more dynamic and interactive classroom environment where students are actively engaged in the learning process rather than passively absorbing information.

By focusing on the development and refinement of students’ own ideas, students engage in meaningful inquiry, which enhances their ability to connect concepts to real-world situations. This results in a more relevant and engaging learning experience for students especially because classroom talks now resonate with them at a more intimate level.

“The SGI design paradigm distills common elements from a range of (socio-)constructivist learning approaches, such as inquiry-based learning, active learning, knowledge building, productive failure, seamless learning, problem-based learning, project- based learning, computational thinking, design thinking and makers,” Lung Hsiang explains further.

Lung Hsiang describes SGI as a “design paradigm” because it transcends any single pedagogical framework, drawing key success factors from various approaches to inform and reshape teaching practices.

Implementing SGIs in the Classroom 

In inquiry-based settings, students may feel constrained by the pressure to find the “right” answer, limiting their willingness to explore different possibilities. SGIs, however, encourage students to think creatively and consider a wide range of potential solutions. For instance, Lung Hsiang observed one Science classroom where the teacher and students were discussing plant dispersal methods and students were posed the open- ended question: “How did the plant get to the top of the building?” While their initial responses were straightforward, such as suggesting that the plant climbed the building, the open nature of the question prompted them to delve deeper and explore more complex ideas.

Instead of providing direct answers, the teacher facilitated the conversation by posing thought-provoking questions and encouraging students to expand on one another’s ideas. As the discussion unfolded, students began refining their classmates’ suggestions and considered more intricate possibilities, such as the plant being carried by an animal or purposefully planted by a human, to explain how it reached the top of the building.

In this student-centred approach, the teacher’s role shifts from being a knowledge dispenser to a facilitator of learning. As Lung Hsiang notes, “Teachers are co- creators in this process. Through strategic questioning and providing appropriate scaffolding, teachers help students refine their ideas, while keeping the learning experience structured and purposeful.” This positive shift addresses a significant issue in traditional classrooms: the overemphasis on finding the “right” answer.

Lung Hsiang’s research findings reveal that students engaged in SGI-based learning develop not only greater cognitive skills but also a heightened enthusiasm and investment in their learning process. In the example of the plant dispersal lesson, students initially sought straightforward solutions but were guided to explore more nuanced explanations, showing their growing enthusiasm and commitment as they actively refined their ideas.

This iterative process underscores the SGI approach’s focus on the cognitive journey of generating, testing and evolving ideas, fostering more authentic and meaningful learning experiences, central to the concept of progressive education.

Reflections and the Future of SGIs in Education 

Reflecting on the project, Lung Hsiang finds the most rewarding aspect to be the transformation in students’ attitudes.

“When students are encouraged to explore their ideas without the fear of making mistakes, they become more engaged and invested in their learning,” he shares. “It’s been incredible to see students take ownership of their ideas and develop the confidence to evolve them.” He also observes that teachers have adapted well to their new role as facilitators, which has been both surprising and rewarding.

Looking ahead, Lung Hsiang envisions SGIs playing a pivotal role in the future of education. “As educational technologies evolve, I see artificial intelligence-powered tools supporting both teachers and students in real-time idea generation and evolution.” He further explains that “the SGI approach complements Singapore’s move towards blended learning by integrating technology to support idea evolution, both inside and outside the classroom.”

This approach can lead to more personalized and scalable learning experiences, where students take an active role in shaping their own educational journeys. By empowering students to become the architects of their own learning, SGIs foster a sense of independence and responsibility. Furthermore, the focus on collaboration and student voices is at the heart of progressive education, where the goal is to prepare learners for lifelong learning, critical thinking and adaptability in an ever-evolving world.