<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Social emotional learning – SingTeach | Education Research for Teachers | Research within Reach</title> <atom:link href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/topic/social-emotional-learning/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg</link> <description></description> <lastBuildDate>Tue, 04 Mar 2025 19:14:12 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.0</generator> <item> <title>Early Childhood Education Is a Big Deal</title> <link>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2023/01/12/early-childhood-education-is-a-big-deal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=early-childhood-education-is-a-big-deal</link> <comments>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2023/01/12/early-childhood-education-is-a-big-deal/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Azleena]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2023 07:59:39 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[issue 83 dec 2022]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Parent involvement]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Social emotional learning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Big Idea]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cognition]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Early childhood]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/?p=21097</guid> <description><![CDATA[The emotional, social and physical development of young children provides the building blocks for educational achievement, responsible citizenship […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong>The emotional, social and physical </strong><strong>development of young children </strong><strong>provides the building blocks for </strong><strong>educational achievement, responsible </strong><strong>citizenship and lifelong health, just </strong><strong>to name a few. A child’s early years </strong><strong>are crucial for his or her overall </strong><strong>development, both in the short and </strong><strong>long-term. Guest editor of this </strong><strong>SingTeach issue Dr Ng Ee Lynn, Senior </strong><strong>Education Research Scientist from </strong><strong>the Centre for Research in Child </strong><strong>Development at NIE, shares with us </strong><strong>more on the different areas of impact </strong><strong>that early childhood education has on </strong><strong>young children and the person they </strong><strong>will become.</strong></em></p> <h1>Early Education in Singapore</h1> <p><img loading="lazy" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ST83_TheBigIdea-2-300x180.png" alt="" class="wp-image-21148 alignright" width="438" height="263" srcset="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ST83_TheBigIdea-2-300x180.png 300w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ST83_TheBigIdea-2.png 500w" sizes="(max-width: 438px) 100vw, 438px" />In the past, one common misconception of early childhood education (ECE) was that it is only about learning basic academic skills such as reading and writing when in fact, it is more than just that, going even beyond preparation for primary school.</p> <p>“It is heartening to see now that this misconception is slowly eradicating because over the years, more and more attention is being placed on early education and the important role it plays in a child’s development,” Ee Lynn, whose research interests centres around learning and development in early and middle childhood, says.</p> <p>Minister of State for Social and Family Development Ms Sun Xueling also shared earlier this year at the Early Childhood Development Agency annual appointment ceremony that Singapore has spent more than $13 million dollars in the past 6 years to train early childhood educators (Teng, 2022). This indicates that developing the quality and profession of ECE in Singapore has been a priority for the nation.</p> <p>“Early childhood educators play an essential role in providing stimulating and high-quality learning environments that support optimal child development,” Ee Lynn explains. “One of the key features of a high-quality learning environment is high-quality teacher-child interactions, which include creating a sensitive and warm learning environment that supports and maximizes children’s learning and classroom engagement.”</p> <p>If the importance of ECE is more than we thought, this then brings us to the next question: How exactly does it benefit children in their overall development?</p> <h1>Four Areas of Early Development</h1> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #333333;"></p> <div class="shortcode-block-quote-right" style="color:#999999"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #333333;">“There are four important areas of early childhood development: cognitive, social and emotional, communication (speech and language), and fine and gross motor skills.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span class="st"><b><i><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #333333;">–</span></i></b></span><strong><i><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #333333;"> Ee Lynn</span></i></strong><em><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #333333;">, on the four areas of early development</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #333333;"></div> <p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p>“Although it is not compulsory for children to attend preschool in Singapore, an increasing number of parents now acknowledge and understand the benefits of early education,” Ee Lynn shares. She also adds that there are four important areas of early childhood development: cognitive, social and emotional, communication (speech and language), and fine and gross motor skills. These skills contribute to improved school readiness skills in the short-term, and better cognitive, physical, and socio-emotional well-being in the long-term.</p> <p>During the early childhood years, children are capable of absorbing information around them and learning multiple new things simultaneously; they are constantly processing and making sense of new experiences.</p> <p>“Exposing children to high-quality early education helps to support their cognitive, language and motor skills, as well as their social and emotional skills,” Ee Lynn explains. “As children transition from preschool to primary school, their social and emotional skills, such as impulse control and awareness of other people’s feelings, help them play and learn effectively in more formal group settings.”</p> <p>However, for children to be able to develop social and emotional skills, it is also crucial that they can communicate with others effectively. Language skills help children communicate what they want and what they feel to others. As such, early language development becomes crucial to children’s ability to form social relationships and connect with others.</p> <p>“The first 3 years when the brain is developing is the most crucial period for acquiring speech and language skills,” Ee Lynn shares. “A high-quality early childhood classroom supports language development by providing an emotionally supportive and cognitively stimulating environment. Moreover, if a school has a bilingual programme, children will also be exposed to how the sounds within different languages work together.”</p> <p>However, for a child to truly benefit from ECE, quality preschool education is only one part of the equation. The other part is parent involvement.</p> <h1>The Power of Parent Involvement</h1> <p>“When parents are involved in their child’s ECE, they are more in tune with what is happening in their child’s preschool and have a better chance of establishing a connection between what’s learned at school and what happens at home,” Ee Lynn says. This homeschool partnership is a crucial element in a child’s development and supports further learning.</p> <p>However, one of the most challenging problems for many early childhood educators is in identifying the most effective way to better engage parents in their child’s learning. “One way to address this challenge is to establish good lines of communication between the preschool and parents,” Ee Lynn shares.</p> <p>Also, to a large degree, community involvement is beneficial for children in the longer-term as it gives them a sense of belonging especially because they grow in the context of their community.</p> <p>“As they interact within their smaller community environments such as an art class for example, they begin to get a sense of what the larger society is like. They learn to understand how their actions affect others, and what values and sensitivities the community shares,” Ee Lynn adds. The creation of a local community in early childhood becomes the supportive, positive, uplifting foundation of a child’s life.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #333333;"></p> <div class="shortcode-block-quote-center" style="color:#999999"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #333333;">“When parents are involved in their child’s ECE, they are more in tune with what is happening in their child’s preschool and have a better chance of establishing a connection between what’s learned at school and what happens at home.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #333333;">– </span></em><strong><i><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #333333;">Ee Lynn, </span></i></strong><em><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #333333;">on why parent’s involvement is crucial</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #333333;"></div> <p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <h1>Research in Early Childhood Educators’ Well-Being</h1> <p>As Singapore continues to build on efforts to develop the quality and profession of ECE, it becomes increasingly important that educators’ well-being is also considered.</p> <p>“There has also been research that shows that poor physical, psychological and workplace well-being hampers early childhood educators’ ability to create and sustain high-quality learning environments,” Ee Lynn shares. “Several studies have reported negative relationships between educator stress/emotional exhaustion, and the quality of emotional and instructional support provided in the classroom.”</p> <p>According to Ee Lynn, highly stressed teachers are susceptible to having conflictual interactions with their students, are less likely to establish supportive relationships with them, and more likely to use more reactive and punitive classroom management strategies. Emotionally exhausted teachers may also lack the motivation or energy to engage in preparation for daily instructional activities, which compromises the quality and rigor of the learning experiences they provide in the classroom. Consequently, the classroom climate is not conducive for meeting students’ learning and emotional needs.</p> <p>“Consistent with this line of reasoning, several studies have reported strong connections between early childhood educator stress and child outcomes, including poorer social skills, poorer socio-emotional functioning, lower child engagement with adults, peers, and materials as well as higher instances of behavioural problems,” she adds. “Empirical findings clearly indicate that poor educator well-being has an adverse impact on children under the educators’ care and the educators themselves. International scholars and researchers are currently advocating for incorporating early childhood educators’ well-being as a crucial and essential element in creating and maintaining a high quality ECE system.”</p> <p>As Singapore continues to strive toward raising the quality of ECE, Ee Lynn hopes that one day, there would be a focused national research agenda to clarify the state of early childhood educators’ well-being in Singapore, the factors that contribute to their well-being and the relationship between educators’ well-being and child outcomes.</p> <p><strong>Reference</strong><br /> Teng, A. (July 13, 2022). Over $13 million invested in training early childhood educators: Sun Xueling. <em>The Straits Times</em>. https://www.straitstimes.com/ singapore/parenting-education/more-than-13-million-invested-in-trainingearly-childhood-educators-sun-xueling</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2023/01/12/early-childhood-education-is-a-big-deal/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Building Social and Emotional Learning in Schools</title> <link>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2022/07/27/st81-building-social-and-emotional-learning-in-schools/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=st81-building-social-and-emotional-learning-in-schools</link> <comments>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2022/07/27/st81-building-social-and-emotional-learning-in-schools/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Aishah]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 27 Jul 2022 01:45:23 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[issue 81 jun 2022]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Redesigning Pedagogy Conference]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Research in Action]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Self-determination theory]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Teacher practices]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Redesigning Pedagogy International Conference]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Education research]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Social emotional learning]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/?p=20502</guid> <description><![CDATA[Social and emotional learning (SEL) is a combination of cognition, emotions and behaviours – soft skills fundamental to […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong>Social and emotional learning (SEL) is a combination of cognition, emotions and behaviours <span>– </span>soft skills fundamental to one’s personal and social well-being, growing one’s character, developing values and building positive relationships. Research have shown that immersing students in SEL-rich contents seem to have a significant positive effect on the way they think, feel, and behave, thus creating a profound impact on their well-being both in and out of the classroom. NIE Education Research Scientist <a href="https://dr.ntu.edu.sg/cris/rp/rp01612" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr Betsy Ng</a> shares some strategies that could help promote SEL in schools through her research which focuses on self-determination theory.</strong></em></p> <h1>A Theory of Human Motivation</h1> <p><img loading="lazy" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ST81_ResearchinAction_BetsyNg-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-20519 alignright" width="388" height="257" srcset="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ST81_ResearchinAction_BetsyNg-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ST81_ResearchinAction_BetsyNg-300x199.jpg 300w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ST81_ResearchinAction_BetsyNg-1024x678.jpg 1024w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ST81_ResearchinAction_BetsyNg-768x509.jpg 768w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ST81_ResearchinAction_BetsyNg-1536x1017.jpg 1536w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ST81_ResearchinAction_BetsyNg-2048x1356.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 388px) 100vw, 388px" />The self-determination theory (SDT) suggests that the motivation behind one’s behaviour is influenced by three innate and universal psychological needs: autonomy, competence and relatedness. It is a broad theory on the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations that affect one’s cognitive and socio-emotional development, their differences and behaviour.</p> <p>Dr Betsy Ng, who has been actively involved in education research since 2009, shares that research has shown that these basic psychological needs have a direct influence on students’ social and emotional learning (SEL). This inspired her to embark on a new research study that hopes to identify strategies related to SDT to promote SEL in Singapore classrooms.</p> <p>“My research study is anchored on this macro theory of self-determination which brings up interesting areas of motivation,” she explains. “It highlights the importance of reflecting upon what we have done, what we are doing now, and what we intend to do <span>–</span> all of which are in relation to our needs as human beings. So, if we bring this back to the school setting, we can help nurture SEL in our students.”</p> <p>“Through my research, I hope to answer the following question: What are the SDT-based strategies that can promote SEL in both teachers and students? As my research is still in its preliminary phase, implementation of these strategies will likely only be done in the second half of this year,” she adds. Betsy has, however, already identified some potential strategies based on her literature review on SDT and SEL that could nurture SEL in schools.</p> <h1>Strategies to Nurture SEL</h1> <p>“It is not easy to gain the competencies that can help you deal with emotions. As teachers, we need to be able to regulate our own emotions while also be aware of how our students are feeling.”</p> <p>According to Betsy, these strategies require a mindful approach, which some teachers may already be familiar with but at the same time, find it challenging to apply in the classroom.</p> <h3>Take Student’s Perspective</h3> <p>“To quote the famous author of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee,” Betsy explains, “try to stand in the students’ shoes, walk around in it and understand how they feel and then having known that, you’re able to actually bring [the point] across to the students.” Teachers can start by being mindful of students’ needs and thinking of the elements of SEL while preparing for lessons.</p> <h3>Vitalize Students’ Inner Motivational Resources</h3> <p>Students’ inner motivational resources refer to students’ interests and preferences. Teachers can make use of those by planning activities that could ignite students’ intrinsic desire to learn. For instance, for a topic on insect life cycle, Betsy suggests bringing into the classroom a real insect or a video clip to get them excited about the topic and learn how life all begins.</p> <h3>Use Non-Pressuring Informational Language</h3> <p>It is often a challenge for teachers to be aware of what they say in the classrooms given all the tasks that need to be completed in a few short classroom periods. However, Betsy highlights that it is important that teachers recognize the importance of using non-pressurizing informational language and to avoid using modals such as “should” and “must”. Words like “may” and “could” are less pressurizing and tend to give students the flexibility to nurture their motivations, such as during group work where they have options to select one out of two or a few tasks.</p> <h3>Provide Explanatory Rationales</h3> <p>With huge time pressure and demands from the syllabus, teachers may find themselves jumping into lessons right away. Betsy recommends that teachers share the objectives of the lessons and provide explanatory rationales to students for the lesson and the tasks within the day’s lesson. This includes providing rationales when rewards are given, as compared to merely dishing them out.</p> <h3>Display Patience</h3> <p>Displaying patience towards students by giving them time and space in turn demonstrates to them how they could also watch and listen when working with their peers, especially in groupwork. This may be trying, especially during stressful periods such as when examinations are near. Hence, teachers may consider having such learning opportunities for students during other times of the year, to work at their own pace to build up their self-awareness and self-management skills.</p> <h3>Acknowledge and Accept Negative Affect</h3> <p>Affect refers to any experience of feeling or emotion. “Acknowledging and accepting negative affect is often easier said than done,” Betsy acknowledges, while sharing her teaching experience years ago. Nonetheless, she encourages educators to do so, explaining that this showcases the empathy they have for their students and their own emotional regulation. “When your students are feeling restless, or when your students are getting a little bit not so enthusiastic, you could ask, ‘Is there something that you would like to have the next time?’” Betsy suggests. Welcoming suggestions to get students to play an active role may even help teachers in crafting a project or task that encourages students’ interest in the activity.</p> <h1>Challenging but Worthwhile</h1> <p>“Teachers need to be good listeners and observers to understand students’ needs and interest level on the tasks. In addition, we must also be aware of one’s own body language where we may unwittingly display a lack of patience that discourages students from voicing out in the process,” Betsy explains.</p> <p>In employing these strategies, Betsy also emphasizes the importance of first having to develop the very social-emotional skills that we seek to inculcate in our student which includes having a high level of self-awareness, and being reflective thinkers and doers.</p> <p>As with most things, Betsy advises that it is okay to start small first. “It is probably challenging to immediately work on all the strategies at one go, so what we can do is try the one that is the least challenging. Like say for me, it is first learning to take students’ perspectives.” </p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2022/07/27/st81-building-social-and-emotional-learning-in-schools/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Tapping on Technology; Developing Social and Emotional Skills</title> <link>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2022/07/27/st81-tapping-on-technology-developing-social-and-emotional-skills/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=st81-tapping-on-technology-developing-social-and-emotional-skills</link> <comments>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2022/07/27/st81-tapping-on-technology-developing-social-and-emotional-skills/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Azleena]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 27 Jul 2022 01:31:25 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[issue 81 jun 2022]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Social emotional learning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Redesigning Pedagogy Conference]]></category> <category><![CDATA[In Their Own Words]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Teacher voices]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Redesigning Pedagogy International Conference]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/?p=20437</guid> <description><![CDATA[Let us take a few steps back and think deeper about the theme of this year’s Redesigning Pedagogical […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong>Let us take a few steps back and think deeper about the theme of this year’s </strong></em><strong>Redesigning </strong><strong>Pedagogical International Conference (RPIC)</strong><em><strong> “Transforming Education and Strengthening Society”. What does transforming education mean to you and how can we contribute to strengthening society as educators? We ask RPIC teacher-participants two questions related to digital technology and social and emotional learning, and here is what they have to say.</strong></em></p> <h1>What are some of the creative ways you have used digital technology to enhance students’ learning?</h1> <div class="message-box-wrapper yellow"> <div class="message-box-title"></div> <div class="message-box-content"> <p>The value of technology serves to empower my students as curators and creators of their learning. With this belief, I have tasked my students to design formative assessment quizzes for their peers. Upon receiving their peer’s responses, they have worked in groups to evaluate the responses and to co-create their “marking” key with explanations for each response. This allows them to examine the different responses and elicit the key concept. The ability to discuss, discern and deliberate leading to the convergence of a collective response on a digital platform synchronously was one way technology can enhance students’ learning.</p> <p><strong><em>Wen Hui, Academy of Singapore Teachers</em></strong></p> </div> </div> <div class="message-box-wrapper yellow"> <div class="message-box-title"></div> <div class="message-box-content"> <p>I use <em>Google Earth</em> and <em>Google Map</em> to teach primary Science and Math. Google Earth is used to teach the topic of man’s impact on the environment. Global warming due to pollution has caused the ice at both poles to melt and water levels to rise, disrupting weather patterns. The children can actually see the decreasing size of the frozen ice at the North Pole. Google Map also allows me to enhance their understanding of area, perimeter and distances between cities. By zooming in from outer space to our school’s courtyard, we can measure the area and calculate how big it is. I ask my pupils to imagine: If I have to build a fence around the school’s courtyard, how many meters of fencing would I need?</p> <p><em><strong>Mohammad Fadilah Admah, Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah</strong></em></p> </div> </div> <div class="message-box-wrapper yellow"> <div class="message-box-title"></div> <div class="message-box-content"> <p>Digital field trips have been a boon when it comes to enhancing my students’ learning. Due to the COVID-19 experience, helping my students with some authentic learning was a challenge as showing them pictures just wasn’t sufficient. Digital field trips enhance my students’ learning by allowing them to experience the closest to reality as they were guided through the virtual programmes. I also gathered their feedback, which was a powerful opportunity that allowed me to curate, consolidate and quantify my students’ learning in a meaningful manner.</p> <p><em><strong>Clifton James, Peiying Primary School</strong></em></p> </div> </div> <h1></h1> <h1>How can schools strengthen their role in developing students’ social and emotional skills?</h1> <div class="message-box-wrapper yellow"> <div class="message-box-title"></div> <div class="message-box-content"> <p>Schools can strengthen our role in developing students’ social and emotional skills by using a wholeschool and many helping hands approach. We need to partner with parents so that there is alignment between the home and school spheres, and parents can reinforce what teachers inculcate in schools. Educators need to role model good social and emotional skills during their interaction with students, colleagues and parents. We also need to leverage peer leaders as students also look to influential peers who can influence them significantly.</p> <p><em><strong>Shir Nee Ong,Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School</strong></em></p> </div> </div> <div class="message-box-wrapper yellow"> <div class="message-box-title"></div> <div class="message-box-content"> <p>Enable time for teachers to build positive classroom culture that encourages students to experiment and learn from failure. Teachers play the role of a facilitator to engage students’ reflections in the learning process that help develop their thinking and emotions. We can also plan for classwork that encourages peer and group interaction, and problem solving.</p> <p><em><strong>Karen Low Lai Fong, Punggol View Primary School</strong></em></p> </div> </div> <div class="message-box-wrapper yellow"> <div class="message-box-title"></div> <div class="message-box-content"> <p>Schools can leverage student leaders by training and equipping them with the necessary skills that they can pass on to their classmates during their interactions. This will be effective as students may not be comfortable expressing themselves fully in front of teachers, thus their peers would be able to reach out to them more meaningfully. Also, schools can do their part by conducting workshops and using scenario-based learning to help students better develop their social and emotional skills.</p> <p><em><strong>Elena Thein Ying Jie, Admiralty Secondary School</strong></em></p> </div> </div> <div class="message-box-wrapper yellow"> <div class="message-box-title"></div> <div class="message-box-content"> <p>We need to leverage their curiosity and make them share what they feel is worth discovering. This requires them to ask questions that could have no answers rather than accept answers that cannot be questioned. The keyword I usually drive at is “epiphany”, in which their sudden realization can be used collectively to level everyone’s fear of interacting intelligently, since they see themselves being in the same boat.</p> <p><em><strong>Aidal Razali, Madrasah Wak Tanjong</strong></em></p> </div> </div> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2022/07/27/st81-tapping-on-technology-developing-social-and-emotional-skills/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Using Immersive Technology in Social and Emotional Learning</title> <link>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2024/04/30/using-immersive-technology-in-social-and-emotional-learning/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=using-immersive-technology-in-social-and-emotional-learning</link> <comments>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2024/04/30/using-immersive-technology-in-social-and-emotional-learning/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Katherine]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 03:37:09 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Knowledge Resource Bank]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Student learning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Socio-emotional learning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Student engagement]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Teacher practices]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Character and Citizenship Education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Social emotional learning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[School-based curriculum development]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Character-building]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Character education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Applied learning]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/?p=23153</guid> <description><![CDATA[Come find out more about a new and innovative way to teach values and socio-emotional skills!   How […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="display: none;">Come find out more about a new and innovative way to teach values and socio-emotional skills!</p> <p> </p> <div id="A1" style="background-color: #143666; color: #ffffff; padding: 20px; margin-bottom: 25px;"><img loading="lazy" width="27" height="31" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/M-Prose-icon.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-15335" /><strong><span style="font-size: 20px;"> <span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">How findings from Immersive Virtual Experiences in SEL can help your students</span></span></strong></p> <ul></ul> <p><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Youth-Purpose21Dec21_Slide1.png"></a></p> <div> <p><strong>Background</strong></p> <ul> <li><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Singapore teachers face </span><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">challenges imparting values</span></strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> in Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) without sounding didactic or superficial.</span></li> <li><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">To address this issue, the Immersive Virtual Environments (IVEs) in SEL project explores the use of virtual reality (VR) and IVEs in teaching CCE.</span></li> <li><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Employing IVEs in CCE helps </span><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">enhance realism</span></strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> and </span><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">promote deeper identification</span></strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> with the scenario’s protagonist.</span> <ul> <li><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">This helps encourage effective </span><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">perspective-taking</span></strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> and </span><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">empathic responses</span></strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">.</span></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>Key Insights</strong></p> <ul> <li><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">IVE usage helped to </span><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">effectively evoke empathic feelings</span></strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">, thus potentially </span><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">fostering responsible decision-making</span></strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> and real-life </span><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">helping behaviours</span></strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">.</span></li> <li><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Students involved in the intervention </span><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">developed social and emotional learning (SEL)</span></strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> in the domains of:</span> <ul> <li><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Perspective-taking</span></li> <li><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Empathy</span></li> <li><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Responsible decision-making</span></li> </ul> </li> <li><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Four aspects potentially impacting IVEs in SEL development were:</span> <ul> <li><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Impact of storyline</span></li> <li><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Visual information</span></li> <li><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Ability to motivate action</span></li> <li><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Shortcomings</span></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <p> </p> <h1 id="A2"><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon2.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-15335" /> Introduction of IVEs in SEL</h1> <p><img loading="lazy" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2-e1711340880543.png" alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-23125 size-full" width="1795" height="1871" srcset="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2-e1711340880543.png 1795w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2-e1711340880543-288x300.png 288w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2-e1711340880543-982x1024.png 982w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2-e1711340880543-768x801.png 768w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2-e1711340880543-1474x1536.png 1474w" sizes="(max-width: 1795px) 100vw, 1795px" /></p> <p> </p> <div> <hr /> <h1 id="A3"><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon3.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-15335" /> Research Methodology</h1> <p><img loading="lazy" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/3-e1711341147687.png" alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-23127 size-full" width="1795" height="3231" srcset="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/3-e1711341147687.png 1795w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/3-e1711341147687-167x300.png 167w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/3-e1711341147687-569x1024.png 569w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/3-e1711341147687-768x1382.png 768w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/3-e1711341147687-853x1536.png 853w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/3-e1711341147687-1138x2048.png 1138w" sizes="(max-width: 1795px) 100vw, 1795px" /></p> <div> <hr /> </div> <div img="" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon3.png" alt="Question-Icon"> <h1 id="A4"><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon3.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-15335" /> Research Findings</h1> <p><img loading="lazy" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/4-e1711341348876.png" alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-23128 size-full" width="1794" height="3450" srcset="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/4-e1711341348876.png 1794w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/4-e1711341348876-156x300.png 156w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/4-e1711341348876-532x1024.png 532w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/4-e1711341348876-768x1477.png 768w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/4-e1711341348876-799x1536.png 799w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/4-e1711341348876-1065x2048.png 1065w" sizes="(max-width: 1794px) 100vw, 1794px" /></p> </div> </div> <div> <hr /> </div> <div img="" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon3.png" alt="Question-Icon"> <h1 id="A5"><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon6.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-15335" /> What Does This Mean for Teaching and Learning?</h1> <p><img loading="lazy" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/5-e1711341471816.png" alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-23129 size-full" width="1795" height="2258" srcset="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/5-e1711341471816.png 1795w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/5-e1711341471816-238x300.png 238w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/5-e1711341471816-814x1024.png 814w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/5-e1711341471816-768x966.png 768w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/5-e1711341471816-1221x1536.png 1221w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/5-e1711341471816-1628x2048.png 1628w" sizes="(max-width: 1795px) 100vw, 1795px" /></p> </div> <div> <hr /> <h1 id="A6"><strong id="Research_projects"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong id="how_did"><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon10.png" alt="Question-Icon" /> <span style="font-size: 28px;">Related Links</span></strong></span></strong></h1> <ul> <li><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2013/10/30/issue45-research02/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SingTeach Issue 45, Nov/Dec 2013, A Literature Review of Game-Based Learning</a><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2013/10/30/issue45-research02/"></a></li> <li><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2022/07/27/st81-tapping-on-technology-developing-social-and-emotional-skills/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SingTeach Issue 81, June, Tapping on Technology; Developing Social and Emotional Skills</a></li> </ul> <hr /> <h1 id="A7"><strong id="Research_projects"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong id="how_did"><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon10.png" alt="Question-Icon" /> </strong></span></strong><span style="font-size: 28px;">Further Readings</span></h1> <p>For educators interested in the research methodology behind IVEs in SEL, you may refer to:</p> <p><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10639-022-10938-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“In the shoes of another”: immersive technology for social and emotional learning</a></p> <hr /> <p><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10639-022-10938-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a></p> <h1 id="A8"><strong id="Research_projects"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong id="how_did"><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon10.png" alt="Question-Icon" /> <span style="font-size: 28px;">Downloadable Resources</span></strong></span></strong></h1> <ul> <li><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Lesson-Plan_VR-Bullying.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VR Lesson Plan (Bullying)</a></li> <li><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Lesson-Plan_VR-Poverty.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VR Lesson Plan (Poverty in Singapore)</a></li> <li><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Bullying-Narrative.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PP Narrative (Bullying)</a></li> <li><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Inequality-Narrative.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PP Narrative (Poverty in Singapore)</a></li> </ul> <hr /> <h1><strong id="Research_projects"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong id="how_did"><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon10.png" alt="Question-Icon" /> <span style="font-size: 28px;">Research Project</span></strong></span></strong></h1> <ul> <li><span lang="EN-SG">‘In the Shoes of Another’: An Exploratory Study of Immersive Technology for Social and Emotional Learning</span></li> </ul> <hr /> <h1 id="A9"><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon10.png" alt="Question-Icon" /> <span style="font-size: 28px;"><strong id="Research_team"><strong id="Research_projects"><strong id="how_did">Research Team</strong></strong></strong></span></h1> <p>To learn more about this research, please contact Dr Marcus Tan at <a href="mailto:marcus.tan@nie.edu.sg">marcus.tan@nie.edu.sg</a>.</p> <p> <b>Principal Investigator</b><i></i></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://dr.ntu.edu.sg/cris/rp/rp01583" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Assoc. Prof Tan Cheng Chye Marcus</a>, Visual & Performing Arts, NIE, NTU.</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>Co-Principal Investigator</strong></p> <ul> <li>Asst. Prof Chye Yen Leng Stefanie (formerly of NIE)</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><b>Research Assistant</b><b></b></p> <ul> <li>Ms Shu Min Teng, Visual & Performing Arts, NIE, NTU.</li> </ul> <div> <hr /> </div> <h1><span style="font-size: 28px;"><strong><strong id="Research_projects"><strong id="how_did"><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon9.png"><img loading="lazy" width="24" height="24" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon9.png" alt="" class="size-full wp-image-15372 alignnone" /></a> Acknowledgements</strong></strong></strong></span></h1> <p>IVEs in SEL was funded by the Education Research Funding Programme, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (project no. OER 04/18 MT). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Singapore MOE and NIE.</p> </div> <p>This knowledge resource was extracted and reconstructed from the published materials from the research team by Ms Shee Yi Xuan, Katherine with input from Dr Marcus Tan and presented on 30 April 2024.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2024/04/30/using-immersive-technology-in-social-and-emotional-learning/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Cultivating Theory of Mind</title> <link>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2023/10/01/cultivating-theory-of-mind/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cultivating-theory-of-mind</link> <comments>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2023/10/01/cultivating-theory-of-mind/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Radiah Belak]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 01 Oct 2023 07:53:29 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Knowledge Resource Bank]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[issue 86 sep 2023]]></category> <category><![CDATA[21st century competencies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Secondary school]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Character and Citizenship Education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Social emotional learning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Educational psychology]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Character-building]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Character education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Citizenship education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Socio-emotional learning]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/?p=22291</guid> <description><![CDATA[Can your students tell what others are thinking and feeling? This is called having a Theory of Mind. […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="display: none;">Can your students tell what others are thinking and feeling? This is called having a Theory of Mind.</p> <div id="A1" style="background-color: #143666; color: #ffffff; padding: 20px; margin-bottom: 25px;"><img loading="lazy" width="27" height="31" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/M-Prose-icon.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-15335" /> <span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>Theory of Mind</strong></span></p> <ul></ul> <p><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Youth-Purpose21Dec21_Slide1.png"></a></p> <div> <p>Background</p> <ul> <li><strong>Theory of mind (ToM)</strong> is becoming increasingly vital for youths to possess, as it serves as an indicator of<strong> socio-emotional skills. </strong></li> <li>This is essential for the development of<strong> 21st-century competencies.</strong></li> </ul> <p></p> <p>Key Recommendations</p> <ul> <li><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">The video-based ToM tool, the</span><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> Y-ToM</span></strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">, serves a dual purpose for educators and school psychologists. It can be employed to:</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none white-space-prewrap"> </span> <ul> <li><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Enhance students’ ToM skills</span></strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> by pausing video scenes to discuss and explain social nuances and;</span></li> <li><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">to identify </span></strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">and</span><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> support</span></strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> students dealing with social challenges.</span></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <p> </p> <h1 id="A2"><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon2.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-15335" /> The Importance of Theory of Mind</h1> <p><img loading="lazy" width="1895" height="3571" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Prof-Nahs-KRB-Infographic7-e1697013213320.png" alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-22352" srcset="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Prof-Nahs-KRB-Infographic7-e1697013213320.png 1895w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Prof-Nahs-KRB-Infographic7-e1697013213320-159x300.png 159w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Prof-Nahs-KRB-Infographic7-e1697013213320-543x1024.png 543w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Prof-Nahs-KRB-Infographic7-e1697013213320-768x1447.png 768w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Prof-Nahs-KRB-Infographic7-e1697013213320-815x1536.png 815w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Prof-Nahs-KRB-Infographic7-e1697013213320-1087x2048.png 1087w" sizes="(max-width: 1895px) 100vw, 1895px" /></p> <div> <hr /> <h1 id="A3"><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon3.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-15335" /> Development of the Youth-Theory of Mind (Y-ToM) Singapore Version</h1> <p><img loading="lazy" width="2194" height="4319" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Prof-Nahs-KRB-Infographic9-e1697013322213.png" alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-22353" srcset="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Prof-Nahs-KRB-Infographic9-e1697013322213.png 2194w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Prof-Nahs-KRB-Infographic9-e1697013322213-152x300.png 152w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Prof-Nahs-KRB-Infographic9-e1697013322213-520x1024.png 520w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Prof-Nahs-KRB-Infographic9-e1697013322213-768x1512.png 768w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Prof-Nahs-KRB-Infographic9-e1697013322213-780x1536.png 780w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Prof-Nahs-KRB-Infographic9-e1697013322213-1040x2048.png 1040w" sizes="(max-width: 2194px) 100vw, 2194px" /></p> </div> <div> <hr /> <div id="A4" img="" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon3.png" alt="Question-Icon"></div> <div id="A4" img="" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon3.png" alt="Question-Icon"> <p><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon6.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-15335" /> <span style="font-size: 28px;"><strong id="how_did">How Can the Y-Tom Be Used in Schools?</strong></span></p> </div> </div> <p>The Y-ToM comprises <strong>two sets of items</strong>: <strong>14 Social videos</strong> and <strong>8 Physical videos</strong>. These can be used by <strong>teachers</strong> and<strong> educational psychologists or counsellors</strong> to measure ToM in youths aged 13 to 16.</p> <p><strong>The Social videos</strong> evaluate the examinee’s capacity to interpret a speaker’s intentions across seven categories: (1) lie; (2) white lie; (3) misunderstanding; (4) double bluff; (5) figure of speech; (6) sarcasm; and (7) persuasion. Each category includes two items for assessment.</p> <p align="center" style="text-align: left;"><strong>The Physical videos</strong>, on the other hand, require logical reasoning to decipher the characters’ utterances or behaviours.</p> <p><span>Fundamentally, <strong>the Social videos serve as a means to identify social challenges</strong>, while the Physical videos function as control videos. This implies that individuals facing social difficulties are expected to perform reasonably well on the Physical videos but might struggle with the Social videos.</span></p> <p align="center" style="text-align: left;"><strong>Access the Y-ToM videos here:</strong></p> <p><strong>Social:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re6i8u1R4_Y&list=PL4NPNFHEd_BEQXvsLWNPo6pl2xP_yukrK">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re6i8u1R4_Y&list=PL4NPNFHEd_BEQXvsLWNPo6pl2xP_yukrK </a><br /> <strong>Physical:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abqW8gHipPE&list=PL4NPNFHEd_BEcovCqtmUMY-ftvGTcdZri">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abqW8gHipPE&list=PL4NPNFHEd_BEcovCqtmUMY-ftvGTcdZri </a></p> <div id="A6"> <h1><span style="font-size: 24px;"><b><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/featureIcon1.png"><img loading="lazy" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/featureIcon1.png" alt="" class=" wp-image-76 alignnone" width="64" height="64" /></a> <span style="font-size: 28px;">What Can School Practitioners Do?</span></b></span></h1> <p align="center" style="text-align: left;"><strong>Teachers</strong> can use the Y-ToM to cultivate ToM by asking questions about social nuances. T<span>eachers have to come up with their own questions for the videos.</span> Some examples might be “<span>Why did Rachel say that “she loves the gift”?” for this <a href="https://youtu.be/yivzR4uDx_E?si=QzX-Mubh4eTWxizW">Social video</a> and “Why did he buy 5 donuts?” for this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdylINXa2mI">Physical video</a>. </span>Teachers can also help students look at the nonverbal communication cues in the videos (e.g., body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, etc.) to identify social cues.</p> <p><strong>Educational psychologists and counsellors</strong> can administer the Y-ToM to assess ToM deficits and provide tailored support as needed. </p> </div> <div id="A6"> <hr /> <h1><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon11.png" alt="Question-Icon" /> <span style="font-size: 28px;"><strong id="Useful_links_&_references"><strong id="how_did">Related Links</strong></strong></span></h1> <ul> <li><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2023/10/09/cultivating-futureproof-skills-in-todays-learners/">Cultivating Futureproof Skills in Today’s Learners</a></li> </ul> <hr /> <h1><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon9.png" alt="Question-Icon" /> <span style="font-size: 28px;"><strong>Further Readings</strong></span></h1> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;">For educators interested in finding out more about the traditional pen-and-paper ToM test, you may refer to:</span></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02172093"><span>Happé, F. G. (1994). </span>An advanced test of theory of mind: Understanding of story characters’ thoughts and feelings by able autistic, mentally handicapped, and normal children and adults. Journal of Autism and Developmental disorders, 24(2), 129-154. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02172093 </a></li> </ul> <hr /> <h1><strong id="Research_projects"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong id="how_did"><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon10.png" alt="Question-Icon" /><span style="font-size: 28px;">Research Projects</span></strong></span></strong></h1> <p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16px;">The following projects are associated with the Theory of Mind project</span></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://repository.nie.edu.sg/handle/10497/22680">Development of the Youth-Theory of Mind (Y-ToM) Singapore Version</a></li> </ul> <hr /> <h1><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon10.png" alt="Question-Icon" /> <span style="font-size: 28px;"><strong id="Research_team"><strong id="Research_projects"><strong id="how_did">Research Team</strong></strong></strong></span></h1> <p>To learn more about this research, please contact Asst Prof Nah at yonghwee.nah@nie.edu.sg </p> <p><b>Principal Investigator</b></p> <p><a href="https://dr.ntu.edu.sg/cris/rp/rp01605" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Assistant Professor Yong Hwee NAH</a>, Psychology and Child & Human Development, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NIE NTU, Singapore)</p> <div> <hr /> </div> <h1><span style="font-size: 28px;"><strong><strong id="Research_projects"><strong id="how_did"><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon9.png"><img loading="lazy" width="24" height="24" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon9.png" alt="" class="size-full wp-image-15372 alignnone" /></a> Acknowledgements</strong></strong></strong></span></h1> <p>Development of the Youth-Theory of Mind (Y-ToM) Singapore Version was funded by the Education Research Funding Programme, NIE NTU, Singapore (project no. <span>OER 31/17 NYH</span>). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Singapore MOE and NIE.</p> </div> <p>This knowledge resource was extracted and reconstructed from the published materials from the research team and presented by Ms Radiah Maria Belak on 30 October 2023. </p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2023/10/01/cultivating-theory-of-mind/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>LES Learn for Life</title> <link>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2023/03/30/les-learn-for-life/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=les-learn-for-life</link> <comments>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2023/03/30/les-learn-for-life/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lorraine]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 30 Mar 2023 04:54:31 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Knowledge Resource Bank]]></category> <category><![CDATA[21st century competencies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Character and Citizenship Education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Social emotional learning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Global citizenship education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Purposeful education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Local Evidence Synthesis]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Four-life learning]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/?p=21328</guid> <description><![CDATA[Promote lifelong learning and equip students for a future-ready world by aligning the curriculum, supporting teachers, and more! […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="display: none;">Promote lifelong learning and equip students for a future-ready world by aligning the curriculum, supporting teachers, and more!</p> <h1><span style="font-size: 32px;"><strong>Insights and Recommendations on Fostering Learning for Life</strong></span></h1> <div id="A1" style="background-color: #143666; color: #ffffff; padding: 20px; margin-bottom: 25px;"><img loading="lazy" width="27" height="31" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/M-Prose-icon.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-15335" /> <span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>Summary of LES</strong></span></p> <p><b>Background</b></p> <ul> <li><b><span lang="EN-US"></span></b><span lang="EN-US">Learn for Life is a movement initiated by MOE. NIE research views this in terms of <b>life-long</b>, <b>life-wide</b>, <b>life-deep</b>, and <b>life-wise learning.</b></span></li> <li><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US">The <b>goal </b>of learning for life is to prepare students to be <b>future-ready</b> in both their <b>careers </b>and <b>daily life.</b></span></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><b><span lang="EN-US">Key Insights</span></b></p> <ul> <li><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US">Students’ <b>school experiences</b> and <b>perceptions of their relationships</b> are linked to Learn for Life competencies.</span></li> <li><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US">There needs to be <b>conscious alignment </b>of </span><b><span lang="EN-US">school curriculum</span></b><span lang="EN-US">, <b>teaching pedagogy</b>, and assessment approaches<b> </b>on Learn for Life competencies.<b></b></span></li> <li><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US">Teachers’ <b>mindsets</b>, <b>relationships </b>with students, and <b>views </b>on citizenship</span><span lang="EN-US"> are all important for development of Learn for Life competencies. </span><span lang="EN-US"></span></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><b><span lang="EN-US">Key Recommendations</span></b><span lang="EN-US"></span></p> <ul> <li><span lang="EN-US"> </span><b><span lang="EN-US">Integrate </span></b><span lang="EN-US">Learn for Life</span><span lang="EN-US"> concepts with <b>schools</b>’ <b>curriculum </b>and <b>instructional practices </b>strategically.</span></li> <li><b><span lang="EN-US">Provide </span></b><span lang="EN-US">relevant implementation <b>support </b>for teachers for fostering Learn for Life competencies.</span></li> </ul> </div> <hr /> <h1 id="A2"><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon2.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-15335" /> <span style="font-size: 28px;"><strong>Infographic Summary</strong></span></h1> <div><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Local-Context.png"><img loading="lazy" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Local-Context-e1679974706985.png" alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-21470 size-full" width="800" height="1435" srcset="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Local-Context-e1679974706985.png 800w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Local-Context-e1679974706985-167x300.png 167w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Local-Context-e1679974706985-571x1024.png 571w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Local-Context-e1679974706985-768x1378.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></div> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div> <div><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-1.png"><img loading="lazy" width="800" height="2000" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-1.png" alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21467" srcset="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-1.png 800w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-1-120x300.png 120w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-1-410x1024.png 410w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-1-768x1920.png 768w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-1-614x1536.png 614w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></div> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div> <div><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-2.png"><img loading="lazy" width="800" height="2000" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-2.png" alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21468" srcset="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-2.png 800w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-2-120x300.png 120w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-2-410x1024.png 410w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-2-768x1920.png 768w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-2-614x1536.png 614w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></div> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div> <div><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-3.png"><img loading="lazy" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-3-e1679974768812.png" alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-21469 size-full" width="800" height="1620" srcset="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-3-e1679974768812.png 800w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-3-e1679974768812-148x300.png 148w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-3-e1679974768812-506x1024.png 506w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-3-e1679974768812-768x1555.png 768w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Key-Insight-3-e1679974768812-759x1536.png 759w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></div> <div></div> <div></div> <div><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Recommendations.png"><img loading="lazy" width="800" height="2000" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Recommendations.png" alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21471" srcset="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Recommendations.png 800w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Recommendations-120x300.png 120w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Recommendations-410x1024.png 410w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Recommendations-768x1920.png 768w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Recommendations-614x1536.png 614w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></div> <div> <hr /> <h1><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon10.png" alt="Question-Icon" /> <span style="font-size: 28px;"><strong id="A3">Research Synthesis Team</strong></span></h1> </div> <p><span lang="EN-US">To learn more about this research synthesis, please contact the Author(s) at:</span><span lang="EN-US"></span></p> <ul> <li><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://dr.ntu.edu.sg/cris/rp/rp01556" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr Gregory Arief D Liem</a></span><span lang="EN-US"> at </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="mailto:gregory.liem@nie.edu.sg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gregory.liem@nie.edu.sg</a></span><span lang="EN-US">, Psychology and Child & Human Development (PCHD), NIE</span></li> <li><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://dr.ntu.edu.sg/cris/rp/rp01451" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr Wong Yuen Fun Isabella</a></span><span lang="EN-US"> at </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="mailto:isabella.wong@nie.edu.sg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">isabella.wong@nie.edu.sg</a></span><span lang="EN-US">, Psychology and Child & Human Development (PCHD), NIE</span></li> <li><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US">Dr Johannis Auri Bin Abdul Aziz, Office for Research, NIE</span></li> </ul> <div> <hr /> <h1 id="A4" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon3.png" alt="Question-Icon"><strong style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong style="font-size: 14pt;"><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon3.png" alt="Question-Icon" /> <strong id="A3" style="font-size: 28px;">Research Synthesis Method </strong></strong></strong><strong id="A4" style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 28px;"><br /> </span></strong></h1> </div> <p><b><span lang="EN-US"> </span></b><span lang="EN-US">This synthesis draws from 34 studies that have assessed, developed, or evaluated ways to nurture Learn for Life competencies and dispositions among students in Singapore from 2012-2020.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/LES7-Research-Synthesis-graph.png"><img loading="lazy" width="916" height="444" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/LES7-Research-Synthesis-graph.png" alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21472" srcset="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/LES7-Research-Synthesis-graph.png 916w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/LES7-Research-Synthesis-graph-300x145.png 300w, https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/LES7-Research-Synthesis-graph-768x372.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 916px) 100vw, 916px" /></a></p> <p> </p> <div id="A6"> <hr /> <h1><img src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon11.png" alt="Question-Icon" /> <span style="font-size: 28px;"><strong id="A5">Related Links & References</strong></span></h1> <p><span lang="EN-US">For readers interested in the individual studies reviewed for the research synthesis on fostering learning for life, you may refer to the LES document’s ‘References section’</span></p> <p><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://repository.nie.edu.sg/handle/10497/24012">Full Volume 7: LES on fostering learning for life</a></span><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p> <p><span lang="EN-US">Visit </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.nie.edu.sg/research/publication/local-evidence-syntheses"><b>Local Evidence Syntheses </b></a></span><span lang="EN-US">for other volumes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 16px;"></span></p> <div> <hr /> </div> <h1><span style="font-size: 28px;"><strong><strong id="Research_projects"><strong id="how_did"><a href="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon9.png"><img loading="lazy" width="24" height="24" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/m-prose-icon9.png" alt="" class="size-full wp-image-15372 alignnone" /></a> Acknowledgements</strong></strong></strong></span></h1> <p> </p> <p><span lang="EN-US">The LES on Fostering Learning for Life involves <b>32 studies</b> <b>funded</b> by the Education Research Funding Programme (ERFP), National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and <b>2 studies </b>funded by MOE Academic Fund (MAF) and administered by Office of Education research (OER). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Singapore MOE and NIE.</span></p> <p><span lang="EN-US">This knowledge resource was written by Mr Jared Martens Wong and Ms Monica Lim, with approval from the authors, </span><span lang="EN-US">A/P Gregory Arief D. Liem, A/P Isabella Wong Yuen Fun and Dr Johannis Auri Bin Abdul Aziz on 30 March 2023.</span></p> </div> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2023/03/30/les-learn-for-life/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Social-Emotional Learning: The Foundation of Future Success</title> <link>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2019/07/23/issue69-people/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=issue69-people</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[singteach]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 23 Jul 2019 03:52:01 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[issue 69 jun 2019]]></category> <category><![CDATA[People]]></category> <category><![CDATA[21st century competencies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Social emotional learning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Teachers' Conference]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/?p=13266</guid> <description><![CDATA[While intellectual intelligence can open many doors for an individual, emotional intelligence is the key quality that determines […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong>While intellectual intelligence can open many doors for an individual, emotional intelligence is the key quality that determines how far one goes in life. In his keynote address at <a href="https://tc2019.sg/homepage/">Teachers’ Conference 2019</a>, <a href="https://psych.rutgers.edu/faculty-profiles-a-contacts/93-maurice-elias">Professor Maurice Elias</a> explains the role that social-emotional learning and character development play in nurturing students to become successful and participatory citizens.</strong> </em></p> <div id="attachment_13330" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-13330" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-13330" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ST69_People_MauriceElias1.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="338" /><p id="caption-attachment-13330" class="wp-caption-text">Professor Maurice Elias giving his keynote address at Teachers’ Conference 2019.</p></div> <p>The 2016 World Economic Forum highlighted that traditional academic competencies are no longer sufficient in preparing students for future jobs.</p> <p>In fact, there are employers that do not even take test scores into account when making hiring decisions – one such employer is <em>Google</em>. Instead, what the search engine giant looks for in prospective employees are qualities such as teamwork, humility, adaptability and the ability to think outside the box.</p> <p>As educators, we therefore have to go beyond imparting content knowledge and also focus on nurturing our students to be adaptable, good communicators, strong team players and effective problem-solvers – these are not merely social-emotional attributes that Google values in an employee, but the very competencies that are foundational to future success.</p> <h1>Developing Character through Positive Purpose</h1> <p>A key galvanizing ingredient to social-emotional and character development is positive purpose, which is the intention to accomplish something that is personally meaningful and in the service of a greater good. Having a sense of purpose is important for students as it keeps them grounded and empowers them to be engaged and contributing citizens in society.</p> <p>So what can schools do to help students develop a strong sense of purpose?</p> <p>For a start, educators have to guide students in identifying their strengths and talents as well as affirm their potential to be positive contributors in society. One way they can achieve this is to engage students in conversations about a fictional character or historical figure’s purpose and ask them to think about the character’s goal or why the figure made a particular decision.</p> <p>When students reflect on how prominent characters or individuals have positively impacted society, they would also develop an understanding about how a sense of purpose guides human behaviour and actions. In doing so, they are better equipped to think about and articulate their own sense of purpose, which would eventually energize them to put their learning to constructive use and cooperate for social actions.</p> <p>Of course, students’ thoughts about their positive purpose will change over time, as they experience different life events and discover new areas of interest in and out of school. One should therefore not be surprised to observe changes in students’ behaviour during a period of time when a positive purpose they once held becomes weakened or eliminated, or when they discover a new one after a period of searching.</p> <p align="LEFT"> <div class="shortcode-block-quote-center" style="color:#999999"> <p align="LEFT">“Educators have to guide students in identifying their strengths and talents as well as affirm their potential to be positive contributors in society.”</p> <p align="LEFT"><em>– <strong>Professor Maurice Elias, </strong>on one of the few things teachers can do to help students develop a strong sense of purpose<br /> </em></p> </div> <h1>How Social-Emotional Learning Empowers Students</h1> <p>Apart from helping students find their own purpose, schools must also have strong social-emotional learning (SEL) programmes in place to help learners acquire the dispositions that would take them far in life.</p> <p>Within the United States, there is data that demonstrate a link between a school’s commitment to SEL and students’ achievement outcomes. In high schools with strong SEL programmes, not only do students perceive their teachers and principals to be supportive, they are also more motivated to strive for excellence in their pursuits.</p> <p>Personally, I have worked with a middle school that had many students who were not only struggling academically, but also presented with disciplinary problems. The school’s numerous attempts to remediate students’ poor academic performance bore little success, so it decided to take a different route – make SEL and character development a priority.</p> <p>In a process that lasted six years, the school became a “National School of Character” and the test scores of students improved. These outcomes are precisely the result of the school’s commitment to SEL, which translated into a more nurturing learning environment, where students felt supported by their educators and were motivated to do their best. In fact, the students also gradually developed a love for learning and in the process, started to focus on what they can do with the knowledge they have gained.</p> <p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-13438" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ST69_People_MauriceElias2.png" alt="" width="550" height="413" /></p> <h1>Cultivating a Love for Learning</h1> <p>All learning must be emotion-informed and as educators, we have to recognize that learning involves many emotions, ranging from curiosity, excitement and delight to confusion, frustration, stress and anxiety.</p> <p>If students experience negative emotions such as anxiety or frustration over the course of learning a subject matter, they would not enjoy the process of learning. After all, it is difficult to love anything that is a source of stress.</p> <p>Nevertheless, negative emotions need not hinder learning or preclude a love for learning, for they are part and parcel of the process. Educators thus have to work with students to help them recognize and manage the emotions they are experiencing so that they would remain motivated to learn. Eventually, we can cultivate a love for learning in our students.</p> <p>Ultimately, we cannot love what we do only when the results we desire come easily; we must also develop a love for the progress and the trajectory. In doing so, we would better appreciate our successes and achievements. Furthermore, overcoming challenges in learning is often anchored by having a strong sense of positive purpose, and feeling supported in your learning and goals by the adults and peers in your environment. This is as true for adults as it is for students!</p> <div class="shortcode-block-quote-center" style="color:#999999"> <p style="text-align: left;">“All learning must be emotion-informed and as educators, we have to recognize that learning involves many emotions, ranging from curiosity, excitement and delight to confusion, frustration, stress and anxiety.”</p> <p>– <em><strong>Professor Maurice Elias </strong>believes that it is important to acknowledge emotions as educators</em></p> </div> <h1>Teachers at the Heart of SEL</h1> <p>Many of us chose to become educators because we are committed to developing our students’ characters and want them to contribute to society positively.</p> <p>We therefore cannot regard SEL programmes to be less important than academic subjects as socialemotional competencies are what enable students to become active and engaged citizens who contribute their talents for greater causes.</p> <p>Furthermore, we must also believe in our students if we want them to succeed in life. There are students who, despite having given up on themselves, turned a corner because they had a teacher who provided care and support but most of all, believed in them.</p> <p>All of us have the capacity to ignite our students’ flames of character, contribution, compassion and engaged citizenship. It is thus our responsibility to prepare them not only for a life of tests, but also for the tests of life.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>How to Stop Bullying: Advice from a School Counsellor</title> <link>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2015/12/07/issue55-contributions01/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=issue55-contributions01</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[singteach]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 07 Dec 2015 14:53:35 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Virtual Staff Lounge]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Contributions]]></category> <category><![CDATA[issue 55 dec 2015]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Bullying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Classroom management]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Social emotional learning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Educational psychology]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Counselling]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://singteach.nie.edu.sg?p=9616</guid> <description><![CDATA[Contributed by Dr Wong Hwei Ming, Office of Education Research, NIE In this article, NIE Research Fellow and part-time […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Contributed by <a href="https://www.nie.edu.sg/profile/wong-hwei-ming" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dr Wong Hwei Ming</a>, <a href="https://www.nie.edu.sg/research/research-offices/office-of-education-research" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Office of Education Research</a>, <a href="https://www.nie.edu.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NIE</a></p> <p><strong><em>In this article, NIE Research Fellow and part-time school counsellor Dr Wong Hwei Ming shares some tips on how teachers can stop or prevent bullying from happening in their classrooms.</em></strong></p> <p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-large wp-image-9617" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/ST54_contributions_WHM-347x400.jpg" alt="" width="347" height="400" /></p> <p>Have you watched the video of the bullying incident in a secondary school in Singapore? If you have not, here is what happened: A boy was seen hitting two other boys on their heads repeatedly. Another boy was seen dancing on the teacher’s table in the background while the bullying went on. The school is now counselling all the students involved and the adjunct teacher present at the incident has also been spoken to.</p> <h1>Becoming a Bully</h1> <p>As a teacher, have you wondered why some students are bullies? As a teacher, have you had to deal with bullies? How and what would you have done to stop or prevent bullying in your class?</p> <p>What I would like to do in this article is to highlight possible reasons why a student might become a bully and some useful tips for teachers to stop bullying in their classrooms.</p> <p>With my combined experience of 20 years as a teacher, an educational psychologist and a school counsellor, I have met my fair share of bullies in schools. I have discovered that very rarely, it is a simple case of a bully being a bully because he or she simply wants to or aspires to be a bully. There are often underlying reasons resulting in a student becoming a bully.</p> <div class="shortcode-block-quote-center" style="color:#999999"> <p>Very rarely, it is a simple case of a bully being a bully because he or she simply wants to or aspires to be a bully.</p> <p>– <strong><em>Dr Wong Hwei Ming,</em></strong> <em>Office of Education Research, NIE</em></p> </div> <h1>Reasons behind Bullying Behaviour</h1> <p>For the younger students, sometimes, it is a learned behaviour from significant adults in the family. The students have seen these adults get their way using these behaviours and the students are simply copying the behaviours, not realizing it is not the right kind of behaviour when interacting with their peers. In other words, the bullying behaviours are a way of life for these students. Usually, I would speak to the parents to find out more about the family situation and work with the parents and student.</p> <p>Sometimes, the bullying behaviour is a reaction to changes in the students’ lives, such as a death in the family, divorce between parents, new family member (could be a younger sibling or step-parent and/or step-sibling), relocation and others.</p> <p>The adults may see such changes as part and parcel of life, but to a student, it is a major upheaval that is often beyond their control. These students thus react by bullying to retain some sense of control in their lives.</p> <p>I discover that in such cases, the adults had usually neglected to explain the situation to the students, often thinking that students would not understand or that the students would adapt easily. Again, I would speak to the parent(s) and work with the parent(s) and the student.</p> <p>Not knowing how to control their emotions and a lack of empathy are also possible causes for the bullying behaviour. The students cannot control their emotions and they will overreact to the slightest irritations. Sometimes, the students cannot understand or feel what the students who are being bullied are experiencing.</p> <p>In such cases, I would work with the students on how to regulate and manage their negative emotions–usually anger–and teach them empathy through role play.</p> <div class="shortcode-block-quote-center" style="color:#999999"> <p>The students have seen these adults get their way using these behaviours and the students are simply copying the behaviours.</p> <p>– <strong><em>Hwei Ming</em></strong> <em>on where some students learn to bully.</em></p> </div> <h1>Tips to Stop Bullying</h1> <p>From my personal experience, the above are common reasons why a student becomes a bully. I feel it is just as important to understand the reason(s) why a student is a bully while tackling the bullying behavior itself. Without understanding the reason, any course of action will only just subdue the bullying for the time being. It would resurface again later.</p> <p>Here are tips for teachers to stop or prevent bullying:</p> <ol> <li><strong><strong>Pay attention.</strong></strong> There are usually warning signs that point to bullying, such as lost or destroyed personal items, unexplained injuries, change in usual behaviours such as eating or sleeping habits, avoidance of school or other social events. Always engage your students on a regular basis and encourage conversation through open-ended questions.</li> <li><strong><strong>Do not ignore the bullying.</strong></strong> Sometimes, adults/teachers tend to see bullying as a once-off or just harmless teasing. When left unchecked, bullying will and can become worse as you are sending signals to the student who is bullying that his or her bullying behaviour is okay. When a student feels threatened in any way, please take it seriously and assure the student that you are there for him or her and will render help.</li> <li><strong><strong>Do something.</strong></strong> When you think there is a problem between students, intervene as soon as possible to prevent the situation from escalating.</li> <li><strong><strong>Be calm. </strong></strong>As the adult or teacher, model to students the respectful behaviour you expect from them (and likewise, it will be the same respectful behaviours that the students are expected to show one another). Refrain from arguing with or shouting at the students. Please make sure everyone is safe and no injuries are sustained, explain to the students involved (the bully, the bullied and the bystanders) that such bullying behaviour is not tolerated and you plan to get to the bottom of it before deciding what needs to happen next.</li> <li><strong><strong>Deal with students separately.</strong></strong> Speak to all involved – the bully, the bullied and the bystanders separately. Do not attempt to ask for facts or sort out what happened with everyone present. Do not allow the students involved to talk to one another. This will allow everyone to tell their side of the story without being influenced by what others might have said, or by what others might think of them.</li> <li><strong><strong>Hold bystanders accountable.</strong></strong> Impress upon the bystanders that they have a responsibility to stop bullying when they see it happening. If they feel they cannot stop it, they are to report to a teacher as soon as possible. By not doing anything, they are condoning and encouraging the bullying.</li> <li><strong><strong>Listen with an open mind.</strong></strong> Do not pre-judge and do not make assumptions. Always listen with an open mind. A “bully” may turn out to be the bullied who is finally retaliating against a bully.</li> <li><strong><strong>Get appropriate or professional help.</strong></strong> Although teachers are frontline counsellors, be careful not to give advice beyond your level of expertise. Do not make assumptions. If in doubt, refer to the school counsellor.</li> <li><strong><strong>Anti-bullying policy or standard operating procedure (SOP).</strong></strong> Be familiar with your school’s anti-bullying policy or SOP. If there is none in your school, it is essential to draw up one. A school-wide SOP will ensure that teachers treat and handle bullying uniformly, and send a consistent message to all students.</li> </ol> <div class="shortcode-block-quote-center" style="color:#999999"> <p>Impress upon the bystanders that they have a responsibility to stop bullying when they see it happening.</p> <p>– <strong><em>Hwei Ming</em></strong> <em>on how students can get involved to stop a bully.</em></p> </div> <p>I hope this article has been helpful in highlighting some possible reasons a student may become a bully and useful tips for teachers to stop and prevent bullying.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Teachers as Character Coaches</title> <link>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2014/07/01/issue49-bigidea/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=issue49-bigidea</link> <comments>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2014/07/01/issue49-bigidea/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[singteach]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 01 Jul 2014 07:15:18 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[issue 49 jul / aug 2014]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Big Idea]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Holistic education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Professional development]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Character-building]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Teachers' Conference]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Education in Singapore]]></category> <category><![CDATA[21st century competencies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Character and Citizenship Education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Social emotional learning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Affective teaching]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Values education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Values in Action]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://singteach.nie.edu.sg?p=8535</guid> <description><![CDATA[Inspiring learning and shaping lives. This sounds like a tall order, but it actually describes what a teacher […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><em>Inspiring learning and shaping lives. This sounds like a tall order, but it actually describes what a teacher does in class every day. The Teachers’ Conference 2014 focused on how teachers can become a positive influence in their students’ lives.</em></strong></p> <p><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-8578 alignright" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/BigIdea_02_for_web.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="184" /></p> <p>Every teacher plays different roles: a mentor, facilitator, administrator, subject expert and counsellor, among others. Now, we can add to that list “character coach” as well.</p> <p>“As teachers, we need to understand that we are in a very privileged position, where we are accessible to many children,” says Mrs Chua Yen Ching, Executive Director of the <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/about/org-structure/academy/">Academy of Singapore Teachers (AST)</a>.</p> <p>“No other profession is in this privileged position of touching and shaping lives.”</p> <h1>Values across the Curriculum</h1> <p>The theme for this year’s <a href="https://www.teachersconference2014.com/Pages/Default.aspx ">Teachers’ Conference</a> is <i>Values across the Curriculum: Inspiring Learning, Shaping Lives.</i></p> <p>The biannual conference was organized by AST and it focused on how teachers can nurture students who are active contributors with sound character and a strong sense of belonging to Singapore.</p> <p>Another strand explored was how teachers could cultivate values and a passion for lifelong learning across subject disciplines.</p> <div class="message-box-wrapper yellow"> <div class="message-box-title">Educating Students on Character and Values</div> <div class="message-box-content"> <p>Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) will be the most difficult “subject” to teach, said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat during his <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2014/06/03/address-by-mr-heng-swee-keat-at-the-7th-teachers-conference.php">opening address</a> at the Teachers’ Conference 2014. But he outlined for participants three ways teachers can teach CCE and inculcate values:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Role modelling: </strong>The most powerful way that teachers, parents and adults can transmit values is through their actions, said Mr Heng. “To guide students in strengthening their moral compasses, we must each first strengthen our own, and ensure that we walk the talk.”</li> <li><strong>Explicit teaching of values:</strong> Teachers need relevant materials to teach values explicitly. MOE has introduced the CCE syllabus and also crafted new CCE curriculum materials to address this need.</li> <li><strong>Values-in-Action: </strong>To illustrate this point, Mr Heng quoted the Chinese proverb attributed to Confucius: “I hear, and I forget; I see, and I remember; I do, and I understand.” Schools should let students apply the values they have learned in the classroom to serve the needs of the community.</li> </ul> </div> </div> <h1>Role Models for Students</h1> <p>Mrs Chua said that teachers are often regarded by students as <i>significant adults. </i></p> <p>“Especially for students who do not come from very supportive families, teachers may be their only role models,” says Mrs Chua.</p> <p>Students often observe how their teachers and significant others manage dilemmas in their lives, and this subsequently shapes the way they approach problems. If our actions and beliefs are not congruent, our students may get confused.</p> <p>“You find that it is from such day-to-day experiences that many of our students ‘catch’ some of these values, and we want them to catch it from us!”</p> <h1>Planning for Teachable Moments</h1> <p>But to be a character coach, one has to do more than just being a role model. It is about seizing the teachable moments – and planning for them too. This means actively guiding students to develop certain values and social competencies.</p> <p>“For example, winning is very important for students when they play sports and games, but it cannot be winning at all costs,” Mrs Chua comments.</p> <p>“Even though the students pay a lot of attention to the product or end result, we can remind them that the journey is equally important. When you win, you can win fairly and with humility – don’t be too proud! And when you lose, you can lose with dignity and learn from the experience.”</p> <div class="shortcode-block-quote-center" style="color:#999999"> <p>No other profession is in this privileged position of touching and shaping lives.</p> <p>– <strong><em>Mrs Chua Yen Ching,</em></strong> Executive Director of the Academy of Singapore Teachers</p> </div> <h1>Preparing Students for the Future</h1> <p>At the conference, Mrs Chua noticed participants generally agreed that when it comes to character and values education, and 21st century competencies, not everything can be measured.”If it is important, even if we cannot measure it, we still need to teach it.”</p> <p>This is so, especially when the future that awaits our students is so unpredictable and complex.</p> <p>“If one day, our students were to come to us and say, ‘I don’t know how to walk the journey from 18 to 80 years old’, we would have done them a disservice and we would have failed as an educator.”</p> <p><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-8577 alignright" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/BigIdea_01_for_web.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="202" /></p> <h1>Collective Wisdom for Mutual Learning</h1> <p>The Teachers’ Conference saw overseas participants for the first time this year. To facilitate more wide-ranging discussions on character building and values education, the organizing committee also invited speakers and panellists from different fields, including public service, medicine and social service. “This collective wisdom is very important and the learning is mutual,” says Mrs Chua.</p> <p>Indeed, what was discussed at the conference resonated with many teachers – questions from the floor came fast and furious during various sessions.</p> <p>“I was quite impressed that there were so many questions asked!” Mrs Chua comments. She was also touched that such a large number of teachers sacrificed the first 2 days of their school vacation for professional learning. In fact, the event was oversubscribed and Mrs Chua thanked her colleagues at AST for their hard work because “running a conference for 2,500 participants is really not easy”.</p> <p>She hopes that teachers had taken away from the conference ideas and strategies that will help them to enhance their teaching. This will in turn lead to quality learning for every child. It is also a good time to take time to reflect on how they can inspire learning and shape lives.</p> <p>Mrs Chua quoted from a book by keynote speaker Professor Marvin W. Berkowitz at the closing of the conference: “A teacher can fundamentally alter the course of the lives of their students. We’re in such a powerful position that to our students, we can be the difference between a life of misery, and a productive, fulfilling life.</p> <p>“We can be the single factor that protects them from pitfalls that otherwise await them. Teachers leave their marks on children every day.”</p> <p><strong>Useful Resources</strong></p> <p>The opening address by Mr Heng Swee Keat for the Teachers’ Conference 2014 can be accessed via the MOE website: <a href="https://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2014/06/03/address-by-mr-heng-swee-keat-at-the-7th-teachers-conference.php">https://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2014/06/03/address-by-mr-heng-swee-keat-at-the-7th-teachers-conference.php</a></p> <p>Berkowitz, M. W. (2012). <i>You can’t teach through a rat and other epiphanies for educators.</i> Boone, NC: Character Development Group.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2014/07/01/issue49-bigidea/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Citizens of the World</title> <link>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2014/02/28/issue47-research01/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=issue47-research01</link> <comments>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2014/02/28/issue47-research01/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[singteach]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 28 Feb 2014 07:23:36 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[issue 47 mar / apr 2014]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Reading]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Global citizenship education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[21st century competencies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Literature]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Literacy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Critical thinking]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Social emotional learning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Critical literacy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Affective teaching]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Research in Action]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://singteach.nie.edu.sg?p=8147</guid> <description><![CDATA[How can Literature education continue to remain relevant in our time? For one Literature teacher educator, the answer […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><b><i>How can Literature education continue to remain relevant in our time? For one Literature teacher educator, the answer lies in how we can harness it to teach our students to care about what’s happening in the world today.</i></b></p> <p><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-8140 alignright" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Classroom_Suzanne_3_for_web.jpg" alt="" height="281" width="159" />Literature students in Singapore are trained to know the studied literary text inside out. Want to test this out? Randomly pick a passage from the text and show it to them. A good student would likely be able to tell you what it’s all about and dissect for you the plot, and analyse its characters and their motivations.</p> <p>This is because our Literature curriculum encourages students to read “deeply” into a work. This emphasis on depth is important, says Dr Suzanne Choo from the <a href="https://www.nie.edu.sg/english-language-and-literature" target="_blank" rel="noopener">English Language and Literature Academic Group</a> in <a href="https://www.nie.edu.sg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NIE</a>. It is not just about reading a book, but critically appreciating how it has been constructed.</p> <p>While Literature education has been very effective in inculcating such skills in students, perhaps it can offer even more. Through its connection to cosmopolitanism, Literature can educate students to be responsible citizens of the world.</p> <h1>Cosmopolitanism: Rooted in Responsibility</h1> <p>Decades of rapid globalization have led to increased movements of people and goods around the world, and there have been concerns about the effects of consumerism and immigration. As Suzanne describes it, interest in cosmopolitanism by academics may be seen as an ethical response to such effects.</p> <p>Students who have a cosmopolitan outlook may more readily empathize with others, even those who are physically or culturally distant. They may feel a greater sense of shared responsibility towards what is happening to their fellow global citizens.</p> <p>As consumers, when shopping for a smartphone, for example, students may pause and consider how much factory workers in a developing country are being paid to produce such phones, and whether they are being treated fairly.</p> <p>When students read in the news about a bombing that has taken place in a neighbouring country, they may be concerned about how lives are lost or affected through such acts of violence.</p> <p>The Internet has made it possible for students to know in an instant what is going on in the world today, but Literature has the potential to make them <i>care</i>.</p> <h1>Empathy for Others</h1> <p>What is it about Literature that lends itself to cultivating a sense of empathy in students?</p> <p>“Empathy requires you to look at things from someone else’s perspective. Literature often zooms in on individual lives as opposed to examining abstract ideas or information,” explains Suzanne. Literature cultivates a concern about the lives and experiences of other people.</p> <p>Also, a good work of Literature doesn’t tell the reader what to think. “It invites you to watch and listen to the ways lives unfold in particular cultural contexts,” describes Suzanne.</p> <p>“At the same time, the literary text does not tell you how to judge the other. Rather, it presents room for interpretation to allow the reader to participate in its world.”</p> <p>The “openness” of literary language leaves room for students to interpret, dialogue among themselves and construct meaning from the text.</p> <div class="shortcode-block-quote-center" style="color:#999999"> <p>The literary text should be seen as an entry point to the world.</p> <p>– <strong><em>Suzanne Choo,</em></strong> English Language and Literature Academic Group</p> </div> <h1>Making Interconnections</h1> <p>Something Literature teachers can do is to help students make connections between the literary text they are studying and other texts. This will help students see how the key concepts and ideas they learn in the Literature classroom play out in other cultures and contexts.</p> <p>As Suzanne explains, “The literary text should be seen as an entry point to the world.” Teachers can highlight to students particular moments in their Literature text that can be complemented and disrupted by texts from different cultures. These can include non-fiction texts such as documentaries, memoirs and news articles.</p> <p>Teachers can encourage students to:</p> <ul> <li>read <i>against </i>the text by critically evaluating its aesthetic construction and the ideological values tied to this;</li> <li>read <i>across </i>texts by thinking about how a text connects to networks of literary texts in the world; and</li> <li>read <i>around </i>the text by tracing how its ideas connect historically with other literary and non-literary sources.</li> </ul> <h1></h1> <h1>Rethinking Literature Education</h1> <p>The number of students taking up Literature as a subject at the upper secondary level has declined in recent years. Some see it as a cause for concern. But to Suzanne, it is also an opportunity for educators to rethink the Literature curriculum.</p> <p><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-8143 alignleft" src="https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Research_Suzanne_1_for_web.jpg" alt="" height="257" width="221" />She thinks that literary texts currently taught in Singapore classrooms often deal with themes such as colonialism, apartheid and American race relations.</p> <p>Suzanne often challenges her teachers to think about this: How can our Literature curriculum connect more closely to what is happening in our world today? For example, what do the literary texts have to say about terrorism, immigration, human rights, human trafficking, global warming and the effects of transnational corporations?</p> <p>A cosmopolitan Literature curriculum that emphasizes deeper empathetic understanding of other cultures will help to foster “hospitable imagination”, in which one responds out of ethical responsibility towards others different from oneself.</p> <p>A hospitable imagination is becoming increasingly important in Singapore, says Suzanne, because we need to learn how to work, live and study alongside immigrants and foreigners.</p> <p>“If I’m communicating with someone from another culture, I cannot just communicate intellectually. I need to have particular dispositions, such as openness to learn from and not just tolerate someone from a different race or culture, as well as the capacity to negotiate and appreciate ambiguity,” she points out.</p> <p>Literature education plays a vital role in preparing our students for the globalized world. It opens up space in the classroom for our students to think deeply about not just the stories they read, but also essential questions about what it means to be a human being and to relate to the others in our interconnected age.</p> <div class="message-box-wrapper yellow"> <div class="message-box-title">Cosmopolitan Pedagogies</div> <div class="message-box-content"> <p>As part of her research in literature pedagogy, Suzanne observed six teachers in Singapore, New York and Perth who applied various “cosmopolitan pedagogies” in their teaching of Literature. She shares with us two strategies that she observed in their classrooms.</p> <p><strong><em>The Universal and the Particular</em></strong></p> <p>An Australian teacher introduced the unit “Literature and Human Rights” in her high school class. She asked students to read the graphic novel <a href="https://www.shauntan.net/books/the-arrival.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><i>The Arrival</i> </a>by Shaun Tan. “The novel is a powerful visual story about an immigrant who arrives in a foreign land and conveys the universal sense of alienation and displacement,” Suzanne says.</p> <p>“What is interesting is how she related this to the particular, in this case, the specific political issues concerning the problems of immigration in Australia.”</p> <p>The literary text became that entry to getting students to critically examine how similar or different the story’s characters are from the immigrant communities in present-day Australia. The teacher supplemented the text with documentaries and news articles about various marginalized groups. Students conducted research on a minority group in Australia and represented the group in a simulated forum in class.</p> <p><strong><em>Ethical Interruptions</em></strong></p> <p>A teacher was teaching Shakespeare’s <i>Taming of the Shrew</i>. Midway through the text, he stopped and “interrupted” it by introducing other texts by writers from different parts of the world, such as Japan, Singapore, and the US. The teacher wanted students to think about the ways women are “tamed” and made to conform across history and cultures.</p> <p>Suzanne describes this as ethical interruption because the aim was to expand students’ worldview, so that they would not look at an issue or concept only from their culture’s perspective.</p> <p>“What may be deemed oppressive or negative in one culture may be regarded differently in another culture. There is also a need to disrupt the idea of a singular cultural perspective to see how forms of cultural interconnections and mixings have occurred throughout history.”</p> <p>Suzanne hopes to see more transnational literary texts introduced into the classroom. They are usually written by authors who are themselves “flexible” citizens and the stories are not set in a particular location. These texts often deal with contemporary global realities such as cross-cultural clashes, the experience of mobility and its corresponding sense of dislocation, and the effects of living in a hyper-simulated and mediatized age.</p> </div> </div> <p> </p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2014/02/28/issue47-research01/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> </channel> </rss> <!-- Performance optimized by W3 Total Cache. 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