Singaporean Youth Research Articles

‘The strawberry generation… they are too pampered’

This paper explores pre-service PE teachers’ conceptions of outdoor education (OE) in Singapore. Survey questionnaires were administered to 120 pre-service teachers; 14 teachers participated in follow-up semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that OE is predominantly situated within the outdoor camp environment. Pre-service teachers regularly envisioned the purpose of OE as to instil a sense of discipline among students and to ameliorate the negative health impacts of an urban and wealthy lifestyle. We propose that the dislocation of OE from local and situated school contexts as well as the instrumental nature of OE pedagogy runs contrary to aims of fostering acquisition of life skills and character development. We concomitantly question how the pre-service teachers’ envisioning of OE can convincingly support holistic learning outcomes deemed beneficial to Singaporean youth and society more broadly.

INSIDE INDUSTRY

NCCS doctor wins recognition in the prestigious Singapore Youth Awards 2014 Singapore - Republic of Korea collaboration on biomedical technology shows results International Stem Cell Corporation signs agreement with Rohto Pharmaceutical of Japan AstraZeneca and Max Planck Institute enter research agreement to create satellite chemistry unit for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases Reaction Biology receives NIH grant award for epigenetic database New Zealand and Singapore to collaborate on food and nutrition research 5th Biomass Pellets Trade & Power spotlights on Asia's unprecedented biomass industry growth and mega opportunities 'Sustainability' issues take center-stage when 6th Palm Oil Asia Summit returns to Jakarta this August Asia's supremacy in oleochemicals market takes center stage at 2nd Olechemicals Outlook Summit in Jakarta, this August

Between two worlds in Asia: Korean youth in Singapore

Migration within Asia has increased dramatically in recent years; however, very little is known about how Asian immigrant adolescents adapt to their new Asian environments. The present study explores the processes of acculturative stress and identity formation among Korean adolescents living in Singapore. Using focus group discussions among 17 Korean adolescents, the study finds five overarching themes on acculturative stress and identity formation: feeling superior but separated; peer pressure to keep being a Korean; less stress in speaking English; more stress in learning another language; Chinese, pride that ‘I am a Korean’, and multiculturalism. The study findings emphasize the role of context of reception as important in understanding the acculturative stress and identity development of Korean adolescents in Singapore. The implications for quantitative research are discussed.

Ecotourism

This research revisits an ecotourism-related article published in the early days of the Journal of Vacation Marketing. That study found its test population, Singaporean youth, to be generally disinterested ecotourism consumers. This replication, done a generation later, had findings consistent with the earlier work. However, by adding a second sample of Singaporean adults to the current study, the conclusion was reached that the purchase of ecotourism vacation products is likely more related to consumer life cycle than cohort. The findings apply to Singapore but can be considered for ecotourism providers and marketers wherever the product is promoted.

Singapore English and styling the Ah Beng

ABSTRACTThis paper explores stylized renderings of Singapore English as such ‘verbal art’ is used by Singaporean youth in popular online forums. In order to analyze these stylizations, this study uses corpora collected from two forums frequented by Singaporean students. The data suggests that posters often use stylized representations to perform or to ventriloquize the identity of an Ah Beng (a kind of hustler or gangster). Implicated in such performances are sometimes complex negotiations of class, gender, and ethnicity. The relationship among the linguistic features central to our study and the social meanings signaled by those features suggest the value of approaches that emphasize the range of pragmatic and metapragmatic meanings or indexicalities that accrue to features in modeling variation in Singapore English.

Risk and Criminogenic Needs of Youth Who Sexually Offended in Singapore

An increasing amount of research has been carried out to understand the characteristics of subgroups of adult sex offenders, but there is limited research into the risk factors and criminogenic needs of subgroups of youth who sexually offended. The current study investigated if there were differences in the risk and criminogenic needs of 167 Singaporean youth who sexually offended based on two typologies - youth who offended both sexually and nonsexually versus youth who offended only sexually, and youth who offended against child victims versus youth who offended against nonchild victims. Results show that youth who offended both sexually and nonsexually were found to have higher risk and criminogenic needs as compared to youth who only sexually offended. In addition, youth who offended against child victims were found to have higher numbers of previous sexual assaults as compared to youth who offended against nonchild victims. These differences have implications for the management and intervention of youth who sexually offended.

The music listening preferences and habits of youths in Singapore and its relation to leisure noise-induced hearing loss

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a preventable condition, and much has been done to protect workers from it. However, thus far, little attention has been given to leisure NIHL. The purpose of this study is to determine the possible music listening preferences and habits among young people in Singapore that may put them at risk of developing leisure NIHL. In our study, the proportion of participants exposed to > 85 dBA for eight hours a day (time-weighted average) was calculated by taking into account the daily number of hours spent listening to music and by determining the average sound pressure level at which music was listened to. A total of 1,928 students were recruited from Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore. Of which, 16.4% of participants listened to portable music players with a time-weighted average of > 85 dBA for 8 hours. On average, we found that male students were more likely to listen to music at louder volumes than female students (p < 0.001). We also found that the Malay students in our study listened to louder music than the Chinese students (p < 0.001). We found that up to one in six young persons in Singapore is at risk of developing leisure NIHL from music delivered via earphones. As additional risks due to exposure to leisure noise from other sources was not taken into account, the extent of the problem of leisure NIHL may be even greater. There is a compelling need for an effective leisure noise prevention program among young people in Singapore.

The Influence of Art on Singaporean Tertiary Undergraduates’ Acculturation Attitude towards Migrant Workers

The aim of the study was to find out how visual art could be effectively used in a social integration campaign among youth in Singapore. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods with the aim of evaluating an art campaign‟s effect on Singaporean tertiary students‟ (N=113) attitude towards migrant workers in their country. Three factors were used to define the host society‟s acculturation orientation towards migrant outgroups: national identity, multicultural ideology and perceived consequences of immigration. Questionnaire survey was conducted among experimental and control groups before and after an art exhibition in which the plight of foreign workers were depicted using visual sketches. Only „national identity‟ emerged significant in host society‟s treatment of migrants. Focus group discussions revealed that the artworks were differentially evaluated by the respondents: some felt the need to understand the migrant workers‟ issues more closely, whereas others completely failed to relate to the workers‟ conditions. Based on Elaboration Likelihood Model, it was observed that the respondents widely resorted to peripheral elaboration of the message, which resulted in minimal rational engagement with the core message. The study highlights the importance of interactive mediums and face-toface sharing sessions as additional tools to make social integration campaigns effective.

Pre- and Post-Visit Perceptions of Youth Tourists to China

China has become a major tourist destination for Singaporeans in recent years. However, there are no studies that look particularly at Singaporean youths’ perceptions of China as a tourist destination. The purpose of this study is to investigate pre- and post-visit perceptions of China by Singaporean Generation Y tourists. Six factors affecting the destination image of China were identified and analyzed. Data were collected using survey questionnaires to examine the relationship between the identified factors and destination perceptions. The study found that Singapore youth tourists’ perceptions of China, as explained by price, infrastructure, safety, attractions, and social interactions, improved significantly after visitation. Results of the study can inform the Chinese tourism authorities on how to position the country to meet the consumer demand of the youth travel market.

Slow Stretch-Shorten Cycle Characteristics: Gender and Maturation Differences in Singaporean Youths

Slow Stretch-Shorten Cycle Characteristics: Gender and Maturation Differences in Singaporean Youths This cross-sectional study aims to compare the differences between the countermovement jump (CMJ) and concentric only squat jump (SJ) (no arm swing) and examine the differences and slow SSC ability of youths at different stages of maturation (pre-pubescent, pubescent and post pubescent). Methods: 101 male and 109 female Singaporean youths. It would seem that concentric force/power capabilities are more likely to be influenced by maturation than eccentric force and power. Furthermore it appears that the eccentric capability and thus SSC augmentation is optimal around pubescence and with maturity this ability diminishes to some extent.

Singapore Youth's New Media Participation: Consuming, being, Learning and Schooling

Abstract This exploratory paper reports how Singapore youths participate in new media. Drawing from Ito's concept of genres of online participation which showed that youth participation in new media in the United States is largely friendship-driven and/or interest- driven, this qualitative research aims to find out to what extent Singapore youths are engaged in new media to socialize (friendship-driven) and/or pursue self-directed learning (interest-driven). Our study revealed that school has a central influence on their new media engagement. The emphasis on school reflects the influence of Singapore's high-stakes examinations on youth's engagement in new media.

Geographies of online spaces and intercultural citizenship

In this article, we explore the potential of social media for production and distribution of ideas, public deliberation, and political participation, and as civil spaces and public platforms. We offer an analytical template for critically examining images, discursive structures, and multicultural civic participation promoted by websites aimed at diverse youth in Singapore. Focusing on the controversial issue of immigration, we examine how the issue was addressed in four different online spaces and consider how ideas of citizenship and civic participation in a multicultural society are constructed and defined. Key immigration issues include concerns about the number of immigrants from China, India, and other parts of Southeast Asia, and the consequent impact on housing, employment, and education. We critically evaluate the extent to which these issues are constrained by Singapore’s political and multicultural social context in which the government has long prescribed rules for discussing ‘sensitive issues,’ such as race and religion. We then consider the educational implications of these sites for teaching about culture and citizenship.

Exploring the Consequences of Bullying Victimization in a Sample of Singapore Youth

A substantial body of research has developed surrounding the phenomenon of bullying online and off-line among youth populations. These studies demonstrate there are significant psychological and emotional consequences for bullying victims. Researchers have not, however, explored in depth how these outcomes differ across the sexes based on the types of bullying they experience. In addition, few have explored these issues in a cross-national context to consider how variations in technological access and exposure may impact behavior. Thus, this study utilizes a nationally representative sample of youths from Singapore, a country with significant access to technology, to consider how suicidal ideation and school truancy as a consequence of bullying are correlated with bullying victimization online and off-line as well as technology use and various demographic factors. The findings indicate that bullying victimization across virtual and real spaces are significantly related to these outcomes and that there are significant differences between the sexes concerning suicidal ideation. The utility of this study for both criminal justice and mental health practitioners are examined in depth.

Inactivity Physiology- Standing up for Making Sitting Less Sedentary at Work

Emergent research suggests that prolonged sitting throughout the day over long periods of time in adults is significantly associated with chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and some cancer forms. Singaporean youths and adults respectively, are not sufficiently active during schooling and at work. This pervasive exposure to prolonged sitting in youth and adulthood (e.g. more than four hours daily) expose large segments of the population to health risks and increased all-cause mortality. Some researchers describe ‘prolonged sitting’ as the new ‘smoking’ disease, because of it could be a serious threat to optimal physical and metabolic health. Interventions to fragment sitting time involve the use of standing desks or treadmill workstations but these have produced mixed results since prolonged standing could give rise to other health ailments that are associated with too much standing while expensive desk treadmills would be impractical and are beyond the reach for most people. Moreover, it is inconceivable that these could be used in work group discussions. The use of a seat cycle, to sit and cycle at the same time is an innovative approach at intervening where it makes sense, where its use is not intrusive and could be ‘assimilated’ into the work culture. The use of the seat cycle even challenges the notion and definition that prolonged sitting is sedentary. This case study briefly describes the key concepts and ingredients of an on-going pilot 3-month intervention study that examines the feasibility and utility of making sitting less sedentary at the National Institute of Education in Singapore. Results emanating from the study would provide empirical data for product innovation and development, strong opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations among product engineers, sensor scientists, medical practitioners and health-promotion advocates at worksites.

Drug Abuse in Sports: An Overview

ABSTRACT The use of drugs to enhance performance in sports is termed as doping and is prevalent since ancient times. In India, the trigger to setup facility for the testing of banned substances was the first positive of an Indian weight lifter in 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games. The Indian laboratory got ISO/IEC 17025: 1999 accreditation in 2003 and WADA accreditation in 2008. It accomplished testing for the two major international games (1st Singapore Youth Olympics and 19th Commonwealth Games) in 2010 successfully. The evaluation of statistics of sample testing in India revealed the maximum number of positives in bodybuilding, athletics, kabbadi, weightlifting and powerlifting. The most prevalent group of drugs in the banned category was anabolic steroids followed by stimulants and diuretics. The implementation of highest standard of quality control is essential for the doping laboratories to ensure best laboratory practices along with the ongoing research to keep up with the advancements in detection of new substances. The sports persons also need to be more vigilant about the prevalent antidoping rules and regulations. How to cite this article Beotra A. Drug Abuse in Sports: An Overview. J Postgrad Med Edu Res 2013;47(2):94-98.

Educational aspirations of Malay youths from low-income families in Singapore

Education is important for the production of human capital and also as a means of social mobility. This paper examines the educational aspirations of Malay youths in comparison with other youths in Singapore. Descriptive analysis and ordinal regression analysis were applied to data from the 2010 National Youth Survey. The findings reveal that Malay youths have lower educational aspirations than youths from other ethnicities. The findings have important implications for social work and social policy, especially since the Malays' educationally and socioeconomically marginal position has been identified as an area of national concern.

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia in an Elite Female Soccer Player; What Sports Medicine Clinicians Should Know about This?

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) refers to a group of congenital conditions characterized by disordered cortisol synthesis. The correlation between CAH and sports performance has been less studied before and there is very limited information regarding the impacts of this congenital disease on sports performance. Probably, there are some limitations for patients who suffer from CAH in sports, but at the same time, they may enjoy some advantage due to the probable effect of endogenous hyperandrogenism on their exercise performance. The case is a 14 - year old girl with male phenotype who is a known case of congenital adrenal hyperplasia. She plays in the women's national soccer team of under 16. She has been in the first division league of indoor soccer for 4 years and was also selected in the preparation training camp of women's football team for Singapore's youth Olympic Games. Her illness and dependence on corticosteroid have caused some concerns for her participation in the international competitions of women. However, following consultations with the Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) Committee of games organization, she received TUE to use corticosteroid only within the games period. Despite all her problems, she is now playing in the Second Division League of indoor soccer. A female adolescent with CAH may compete at the high level of outdoor and indoor soccer. However, there are many questions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of this congenital disorder and its treatment on sports related issues.

Use of Supplements by Young Elite Japanese Athletes Participating in the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore

To investigate the prevalence of supplement use among young elite Japanese athletes. Survey study. 2010 Youth Olympic Games, Singapore. Data were collected from individual interviews during medical evaluations of 75 athletes selected for the Japanese national team. Main outcome measures included the use of supplements, products used, frequency of use, purpose of use, and relationships between supplement use and athlete attitudes toward a balanced diet. All 75 athletes agreed to participate in this study, and individual interviews by pharmacists made it possible to collect complete answers from all athletes. Of these athletes, 47 (62.7%) used 1 or more supplement products (average number of products used, 1.1 ± 1.3). The most popular supplement was amino acids, which were used by 33 athletes (44.0%). Of the supplements used, 28 (32.6%) were taken every day, whereas 28 (32.6%) were used only on special occasions. Moreover, 34 of the supplement products (39.5%) were taken to enhance recovery from fatigue, whereas 19 (22.1%) were used to improve athletic performance. Statistical analysis suggested that there was no significant relationship between supplement use and attitudes toward a balanced diet. The results revealed widespread supplement use among young elite athletes in the Japanese national team for the Singapore Youth Olympic Games in 2010. Moreover, these athletes apparently used supplements without considering the effects of their normal diets.

Tracing ideologies of learning in group talk and their impediments to collaboration

In this paper we examine the complex relationship between dynamics of group talk and students’ ideologies of learning. Through an interactional analysis and thematic coding of group talk, this study details barriers to collaboration in a digital storytelling workshop with primary-aged youth in Singapore. Drawing on 25h of video-recorded data, we tease out participants’ orientations to the activity of jointly authoring digital stories in order to highlight how ideologies of learning shaped group talk and bore connections to the larger social context in which participants interacted. Specifically, by considering context and cultural norms alongside group talk, we highlight the discursive processes that shape learners’ participation in and learning through group talk. Findings speak to youths’ socialization into norms and expectations about learning activities, which serve as the conceptual link between group talk and our claims about ideologies of learning and their impediment to collaboration.

What is school like? Perspectives of Singaporean youth with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders

This study sought to understand the perspectives of four youth with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFA) regarding their experiences in Singapore secondary schools. Qualitative analyses of in-depth interviews revealed that youth with HFA actively construct their experience of being a person with HFA. The extent to which the youth were engaged or disengaged in school appears to be related to the support provided by the environment. Implications of the findings for practice are discussed. The role of the phenomenological approach to providing insights into the lives of persons with HFA is also discussed.