Educational Institutions In Singapore Research Articles

The Development of Professional Identity among Counsellors in Tertiary Educational Institutions in Singapore

Though counselling as a field has been in existence in Singapore for the last 30 years, many individuals (both members of the public and those of other professions) still do not have a clear idea of the roles played by counsellors. This indicates that counsellors’ professional identity is still fairly weak. The purpose of this study was to identify elements of practice which in-fluence the development of professional identity amongst counsellors working in tertiary educational institutions in Singapore. Using grounded theory as the main methodology, the findings from this study seek to extend the growing literature base (Chong & Ow, 2004; Low, 2015; Yeo & Lee, 2014) on the professional development of counsellors in Singapore as well as to potentially be used as the foundation for further research into future efforts to improve professional identities of counsellors in Singapore.

Career choice and perceptions of nursing among healthcare students in higher educational institutions

BackgroundDue to the ageing population and competition from other healthcare courses, a greater demand in the healthcare workforce has made it challenging for educational institutions to attract school leavers to enter nursing courses. Understanding the considerations of students who have chosen non-nursing healthcare courses and their perceptions of nursing can help identify specific strategies to enhance the attractiveness of nursing course. This study aims to examine the differences between healthcare career choices and perceptions of nursing as a career choice among first-year non-nursing healthcare students. MethodA descriptive survey design was conducted at the beginning of the healthcare courses of seven healthcare groups and from four higher educational institutions in Singapore. A total of 451 students responded, yielding an overall response rate of 52.7%. The online survey was administered using a valid and reliable 35-item parallel scale, known as the Healthcare Career Choice and Nursing Career Choice. ResultsThe participants perceived prior healthcare exposure as the most influential factor and self-efficacy as the least influential factor when choosing nursing as a career. In comparison to their own healthcare career choices, nursing was perceived to have greater gender stigma and, as nurses, they would be less likely to achieve higher qualifications and career advancements, and they would be less likely to enjoy fulfilling careers. They also perceived that they would be less likely to gain their parents' support to pursue nursing and to make their parents proud. ConclusionsThis study provides educators and policy-makers with vital information to develop key strategies to improve nursing enrolment in educational institutions. These strategies include early exposure to nursing as a rewarding career during school years, addressing the issue of gender stigma, and promoting information on the career and educational advancement of a registered nurse to parents of school leavers.

Liberal Arts for Asians

This critical commentary discusses Yale-NUS College, a recently established liberal arts college in Singapore enabled by a controversial partnership between Yale University and the National University of Singapore. The Yale–NUS collaboration marks a shift in the role of educational institutions in Singapore's neoliberal economy and one that contends with the legacy of Singapore's earlier discourse of ‘Asian values’. The essay analyses the curricular design process of the college's ‘literature and humanities’ common curriculum course, as well as one faculty member's experience of teaching a course on modern Chinese literature and film, to highlight both the potential and the challenges of liberal arts education in the context of Singapore's postcoloniality and neoliberal economy.

Acculturative Stress among Asian International Students in Singapore

This study aims to identify the level of acculturative stress and to examine the correlations between acculturative stress or its subcategories and variables such as English language proficiency. The results show that international students were challenged by social interactions, lack of English language proficiency and financial issues. The results of this study and their possible implications for educational institutions in Singapore and Asia are considered.

Relationship between leisure noise exposure and otoacoustic emissions in a young Asian population

Objective: This study compared the otoacoustic emissions amplitudes of Asian youths at risk of leisure noise exposure through the use of portable music players with their less exposed counterparts. Design: A listening habit survey was conducted. Subjects were divided into two groups for analysis. A subject was placed within the high risk group if he/she reported listening to music at near maximum volume and had a physical measurement of his/her preferred listening level recorded at > 85 dBA. DPOAE and TEOAE levels were measured and compared between the two groups. Study sample: A total of 1928 students from a tertiary educational institution in Singapore. Results: TEOAE levels were found to be significantly lower in the high risk group at 4 kHz. DPOAE levels were also found to be significantly depressed in the high risk group at 1, 2, 3, and 4 kHz with the largest mean difference at 4 kHz. A four-way ANOVA carried out for OAE amplitudes using gender, ear laterality, risk profile, and years of usage as independent factors also showed that risk profile was a significant factor in determining the OAE amplitude at 4 kHz. Conclusion: We have demonstrated that both DPAOE and TEOAE values are diminished in the Asian subjects at high risk for noise exposure.

Student nurses' perspectives of spirituality and spiritual care

To investigate nursing students' perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care. Spirituality is an essential part of holistic care but often neglected in practice. Barriers to spiritual care include limited educational preparation, negative attitudes towards spirituality, confusion about nurses' role, perceptions of incompetence and avoidance of spiritual matters. There is limited knowledge about students' perspectives of spirituality and spiritual care. Previous studies have predominantly focused on educational approaches to enhance spirituality. The next generation of clinicians may have different worldviews, cultural beliefs and values about spirituality and spiritual care from current nurses. There is a need to understand students' views and how their spiritual development is shaped in order to inform pre-registration education. A cross-sectional survey of final-year students from three educational institutions in Singapore was conducted from April to August 2010. Data included demographic details and responses on a new composite tool, the Spiritual Care Giving Scale (SCGS). A response rate of 61.9% (n=745 out of 1204) was achieved. The lowest mean score was item 9, "Without spirituality, a person is not considered whole". Highest mean was item 2, "Spirituality is an important aspect of human being". Factor 5 (Spiritual Care Values) had the lowest mean with Factor 2 (Spirituality Perspectives) the highest. Participants considered spirituality as essential to being human; developmental in nature; and vital for individuals' state of well-being. Attributes important for spiritual care were identified. Multivariate analyses showed positive association between participants' scores and institution but not with other variables. Participating student nurses reported a high level of spiritual awareness that was not constrained by age. Students affirmed the importance of spiritual awareness in order to address the spiritual needs of patients. There was some congruence between the perceptions of students in this ethno-culturally diverse Asian sample and responses by students in the UK and North America on the personal attributes needed to provide spiritual care. Comparative studies using the SCGS could inform our understanding of spirituality and best pedagogical approaches to develop spiritual awareness across the curricula and in clinical practice.

The Use of Facebook as a Marketing Tool by Private Educational Institutions in Singapore

With social network sites growing in popularity, many organisations have started to use this platform to market themselves. However, marketing on social network sites is different from traditional marketing. Its value lies in engaging members of the social network and generating shared cultural meaning of the advertised brand rather than promoting awareness of the brand to a large number of people. This is not apparent to marketers and as such, many organizations are not leveraging on this media tool effectively. This paper examines the use of Facebook as a marketing tool by private educational institutions offering degree programmes in Singapore and investigates the extent that these educational institutions are leveraging on this new marketing communications tool. The findings suggest that marketing on social network sites remains in its infancy. Educational institutions in Singapore have started to use social network sites as a marketing communications tool. However, as the majority of visitors were using social network sites as an extension to existing mediums for seeking information, there is clearly the potential for the educational institutions to move to the next level in leveraging on social network sites to engage its members and generating a shared cultural meaning of their brands.

A Study of the Factors Influencing Students’ Selection of a Private Educational Institution in Singapore and the Marketing Implications for the Institution

The twin research objectives of this paper are: 1) To determine what influences students’ choice of private educational institutions in Singapore. 2) To ascertain what are the marketing implications for private education providers in Singapore. The design of this study is to understand the importance of the factors affecting students’ decisions on the institutions chosen for further studies. A self-administered questionnaire was given to targeted respondents at a private educational institution in Singapore. A sample comprising 245 students took part in the study. The questionnaire contains interval scales, ranging from 1 (least important) to 7 (most important). Descriptive statistics and factor analysis were conducted. Subsequently, cluster analysis was performed to identify the clusters of students who placed different levels of emphasis on those factors identified for choosing the institutions. Factor analysis showed that seven factors were discovered, including academic reputation and recognition, campus environment, reference group influence, programme relevancy, promotional information, financial cost, and accessibility and location. Each factor had Eigenvalues which were greater than one, and together these seven factors explained 64.62% of the overall variance. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were above 0.7. Subsequently, cluster analysis was performed on the sample using the seven factors. A 3-cluster solution was generated. These three clusters were identified as high expectation seekers, independent thinkers and rational decision makers.The literature comprises similar studies done in many countries but there is still a dearth of related literature on Singapore. This paper will provide preliminary insights and perhaps lead to further cross-disciplinary studies into this area.It will contribute to the understanding of the marketing implications for private education providers, which is unique to some countries like Singapore, where there is huge demand (both local and overseas) for educational programmes run by private educational institutions. The research should provide useful and practical insights into the primary and secondary inputs that influence students’ choice and how these higher education providers can use this information to improve marketing strategies, educational products, pricing, distribution and promotions to segment and target potential students.The research findings will help these private education providers enhance their understanding and use of marketing as a key business function and elevate its importance as an effective tool in a competitive environment.

E-Learning in Singapore: A Brief Assessment

Singapore is experiencing a rapid growth of e-learning and it was estimated that e-learning market in 2005 was around US $106 million. Adequate infrastructure, rapid advancement of ICT sectors, globalization and changes in demographic profile, increasing demand for knowledge workers, outsourcing, and government incentives are the major forces responsible for e-learning growth in Singapore. Educational institutions in Singapore have already adopted learning management system to create more effective learning environment. The Singapore government initiated many IT related policies in order to promote Singapore as a regional e-learning hub. The study shows that e-learning can positively contribute to the economic growth of Singapore in many ways that include cheaper acquisition of human capital, technology transfer, rise in productivity, and increasing social cohesion. It is expected that e-learning will help create a large pool of skilled work-force in Singapore essential for sustained economic growth of the city-state Republic.

Social Capital and Knowledge Sharing in Knowledge-Based Organizations

The study aims to understand the social and organizational factors that influence knowledge sharing. A model of knowledge management and knowledge sharing was developed inspired by the work of Nahapiet and Ghoshal. Data on KM processes and various social capital measures were collected from a sample of 262 members of a tertiary educational institution in Singapore. Rewards and incentives, open-mindedness, and cost-benefit concerns of knowledge hoarding turned out to be the strongest predictors of knowledge sharing rather than prosocial motives or organizational care. Individuals who are highly competent in their work abilities are less likely to share what they know when they perceive that there are few rewards or when sharing is not recognized by the organization. The findings provide evidence for the importance of social capital as a lubricant of knowledge sharing and engaging performance management systems in knowledge-intensive organizations.

Curriculum as praxis: Ensuring quality technical education in Singapore for the 21st century.

Singapore, a small island city-state, has achieved notable economic advancement within 40 years since independence. It is fast becoming a global city and a knowledge society. In education and training, the Singapore system has evolved from its British roots. Macro performance indicators of participation rate, literacy rate and mean years of schooling, show that the current education system can be regarded as highly successful. The contributions of general education as well as technical education and training to the overall success of the nation are often cited. Technical education and training, which is globally perceived as having a lower status than "academic" curricula, has largely overcome its "image" problem in Singapore. Singaporeans have seemingly embraced technical education and training as an accessible, attractive mode of education, which therefore enjoys a high participation rate. The success and quality of technical education and training were affirmed when its main provider, the Institute of Technical Education, became the first educational institution in Singapore to win the Singapore Quality Award in October 2005. This paper provides a review of the contemporary education system and curriculum in Singapore with a focus on technical education and training vis-à-vis a vision of education and training in and for postmodern knowledge societies. Suggestions are made on how the technical education and training sector in Singapore can further develop and thrive in the 21st century, while continuing to be accessible and of high quality.

The Resource Advantage Theory of Competition: Implications for Higher Educational Institutions in Singapore

The purpose of this paper is to examine the educational strategic management implications of the Resource-Advantage Theory of Competition, proposed by Shelby D. Hunt (1995). Hunt essentially challenged `managers' and practitioners to engage in the discussion of competition based on what develops as `resource-advantage.' It is posited that comparative advantages in resources can lead to marketplace positions of competitive advantage, which then lead to a superior performance. The fundamental premise of this theory is that the equilibrium-based analysis of much mainstream economics actually eliminates both the heterogeneity and dynamism that marks real-world industrial competition. Instead, resources of an organization should be viewed as heterogeneous and imperfectly mobile, and intra-industry demand is substantially heterogeneous. A discussion on the competitive positions of some educational industry participants with regards to innovation, learning and competitive dynamics is provided.

Attitudes Toward, and Intentions to Report, Academic Cheating Among Students in Singapore

In this study, we examined students' attitudes toward cheating and whether they would report instances of cheating they witnessed. Data were collected from three educational institutions in Singapore. A total of 518 students participated in the study. Findings suggest that students perceived cheating behaviors involving exam-related situations to be serious, whereas plagiarism was rated as less serious. Cheating in the form of not contributing one's fair share in a group project was also perceived as a serious form of academic misconduct, although a majority of the students admitted having engaged in such behavior. With regard to the prevalence of academic cheating, our findings suggest that students are morally ambivalent about academic cheating and are rather tolerant of dishonesty among their peers. On the issue of whether cheating behaviors should be reported, our findings revealed that a majority of students chose to take the expedient measure of ignoring the problem rather than to blow the whistle on their peers. Implications of our findings are discussed.

Curricula Enhancement at the Higher Educational Institutions in Singapore

Curricula Enhancement at the Higher Educational Institutions in Singapore

Distance and familiarity in unequal dialogue: The role of alignment and style‐switching

The transcripts of 10 successful and 10 unsuccessful interviews for places on a diploma course in an educational institution in Singapore are used to illustrate the phenomenon of distance and familiarity in unequal dialogue, i.e. dialogue in which the failure to make a good impression can result in loss for one of the participants. This study discusses how interactional movement along the distance‐familiarity cline reveals the participants’ relative power, status and mutual understanding in the speech situation. It also examines how the metadiscoursal strategy of alignment or non‐alignment contributes to the relative success or failure of the interviewee. The research highlights the need for the demystification of the processes involved in all kinds of talk and highlights pragmatic implications of the style continuums which learners have at their disposal in varying speech situations, and especially in crucial encounters where life chances are at stake.

Quality Control in the Education Service ‐ A Singapore Experience

Excellence in education through the provision of a high standard of education services is the philosophy of educational institutions in Singapore. Quality control in the education service forms an important evaluation process in tertiary institutions. The exercise of quality control in education service has even been extended to the incorporation of quality control concepts in the curriculum. Students in the institutions of higher learning are encouraged to form quality control circles to acquire the various techniques to practise problem solving and monitoring of quality of work. Highlights some quality control measures practised in the Ngee Ann Polytechnic of Singapore in ensuring that the highest standards are met in the provision of educational services which train high‐quality graduates for the supervisory and middle‐management workforce.