Singapore High School Research Articles

Construct Validity of the Two-Factor Revised Learning Process Questionnaire in a Singapore High School

The Revised Two-factor Learning Process Questionnaire (R-LPQ-2F) is an instrument for assessing students’ learning approaches at the high school level. The instrument has significant potential for use in Singapore schools, but as yet, has not been validated in this context. This study evaluated the validity attributes of the R-LPQ-2F in a sample of Singapore senior high school students. The sample comprised 455 Year 11 students (266 male, 189 female) from Singapore. The internal structure of the R-LPQ-2F was evaluated by replicating the confirmatory factor analyses published in previous validations of the instrument, and assessing its internal consistencies and inter-scale correlations. Relationships between the R-LPQ-2F subscales and external variables were also evaluated. Results indicated that for the Deep Approach scale, a one-factor model fit the data well. For the Surface Approach scale, a four-factor model (Fear of Failure; Aim for Qualification; Minimizing Scope of Study; and Memorization) was found to fit the data best. Correlations between scores on the R-LPQ-2F subscales, on the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, and a physics achievement test demonstrated expected patterns of correlation. Overall, results obtained in this study supported the construct validity of the R-LPQ-2F for use with Singapore high school students.

Construct Validation of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire in a Singapore High School Sample

In this study, the construct validity of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) was assessed. Participants were 441 Year 11 students in Singapore. Three separate confirmatory factor analyses were conducted for each section of the MSLQ (motivation and learning strategies). Results indicated that the original factor structures proposed by the instrument developers produced the best model fit. Cronbach α coefficients were also acceptable for all but one of the individual scales. Correlations with the Revised Learning Process Questionnaire—Two Factor and physics achievement scores also aligned with the theoretical basis of the MSLQ. These results confirmed the potential utility of this instrument for assessing the motivation and learning strategies of secondary students in Singapore.

Learner Dashboards a Double-Edged Sword? Students’ Sense-Making of a Collaborative Critical Reading and Learning Analytics Environment for Fostering 21st Century Literacies

The affordances of learning analytics (LA) tools and solutions are being increasingly harnessed for enhancing 21st century pedagogical and learning strategies and outcomes. However, use cases and empirical understandings of students’ experiences with LA tools and environments aimed at fostering 21st century literacies, especially in the K-12 schooling sector and in Asian education contexts remain relatively scarce in the field. Our paper addresses this knowledge gap in two ways. First, we present a first iteration design of a computer-supported collaborative critical reading and LA environment, WiREAD, and its 16-week implementation in a Singapore high school. Second, we foreground students’ evaluative accounts of the benefits and drawbacks associated with this techno-pedagogical innovation. Our analysis of students’ collective sense-making pointed to a number of potentialities and perils associated with the design and use of LA dashboards. Positives included (1) fostering greater self-awareness, reflective and self-regulatory learning dispositions, (2) enhancing learning motivation and engagement, and (3) nurturing connective literacy among students. The motivational value of peer-referenced LA visualisations for stimulating healthy competition and game-like learning was identified, alongside the perils of these serving to demoralise, pressurise and trigger complacency in learners. By focusing on students’ experiences and interpretations of how the LA dashboard visualizations impacted their learning motivation and outcomes, this paper aims to shed insights into the pedagogical complexities of designing LA that considers the voices of learners as a critical stakeholder group.

Teacher Collaborative Learning and Teacher Self-Efficacy: The Case of Lesson Study

Empirical evidence suggests that successful teacher professional development programs are intensive, ongoing, and connected to practice; focused on specific subject content; and foster strong working relationships among teachers. They support teacher motivation so that the acquired skills continue to be practiced in class. These critical elements are also embedded in collaborative learning structures. Research indicates that these collaborative contexts have an impact on teacher efficacy, an outcome that has been empirically linked to improved student achievement, and teacher adaptability and adjustment. This study used a qualitative lens to examine how lesson study provided the conditions identified in effective collaborative learning structures to support teacher efficacy. It was carried out in 3 subject domains with 10 teachers in a Singapore high school. It further explored the efficacy sources that facilitated the teachers’ collaborative efforts. The authors discuss implications for staff development programs in the light of these findings.

Teacher collaborative learning through the lesson study: identifying pathways for instructional success in a Singapore high school

Research shows teacher collaborative learning to be a powerful vehicle to mobilise teacher instructional change and pedagogical practices, and to improve student achievement. For such undertakings to have positive impact, understanding the visible features of collaborative structures may not be sufficient to ensure sustainable practice. Instead, there is a need to identify underlying pathways that provide for successful instructional improvement. The purpose of this qualitative study is to obtain deeper insights into teacher outcomes arising from this practice and to identify aspects of the lesson study structure and processes that afford such opportunities. Three subject groups consisting of ten teachers from a Singapore high school participated in this study. Implications on staff development programs will be discussed in the light of these findings.

Portraits of New Literacies in Two Singapore Classrooms

The need to broaden the notion of literacy has been continually emphasized within the field of New Literacy Studies in recent years. This is necessary because of the advent of information and communication technology (ICT) in our everyday, school and workplace literacy practices. A broader notion of literacy is needed to pay attention to the rearrangement in the constellation of modes of representation from print to screen which has profound consequences for meaning making and communication in the classroom (Kress, 2003). In this paper, we present our exploratory study in a Singapore high school whereby a multiliteracies curriculum was designed and implemented. We document our collaborating teacher’s changing perceptions towards meaning making and how her shifting perceptions change her pedagogical practices in her two English Language classrooms of 14-year-old students. We conclude with a discussion on the implications of developing new literacies for language teaching in Singapore.