UNISA Research on MTPD

Country Presentation Professional Development of Mathematics Teachers Pretoria, South Africa

Mathematics Teacher Preparation & Professional Development in Singapore

Yeap Ban Har Marshall Cavendish Institute Singapore

www.banhar.blogspot.com

Land 270 sq miles

700 sq km

People 5.3 million

GDP per capita 1965 USD500

2011 USD50 000 in current USD

Junyuan Secondary School, Singapore

Score 1960-1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s

500 Japan Hong Kong Japan Korea

Hong Kong Japan Korea

Singapore

Hong Kong Japan Korea

Singapore

400 Thailand The Philippines Singapore Thailand

Malaysia Thailand

Malaysia Thailand

300 Indonesia The Philippines

Indonesia The Philippines

Reference: E. Hanusek, D. Jamison, E. Jamison & L. Woessmann (2008)

All major international tests (literacy, science and mathematics)

between 1964 and 2003 were placed on a common scale.

Selected countries shown in the table.

…nothing matters more

than finding people with

the potential to be

great teachers.

Malcom Gladwell 2009

What The Dog Saw

Getting the right people to become teachers and to

develop them into effective teachers.

Source: How the World's Best-Performing School Systems Come Out on Top The McKinsey Report

“The country has made a conscious effort to have

highly-qualified teachers throughout the system.”

Source: BBC News 23 Nov 2004

Minister of Education (Finland) 2004

“The first is improving teaching,

developing teachers professionally ….”

Source: Straits Times 23 Nov 2010

Secretary of State for Education (Britain) 2010

Pre-service Teacher Education

In Singapore: Structure

Grade 12

Polytechnic

Grade 10

University

PGDE

M Teach

Dip Ed

B Sc / B A (Education)

Qualified Teachers

Pre-service Teacher Education

In Singapore: Structure

Level Number of Subjects

Primary 2 or 3

Secondary 2

Junior College 1

National Institute of Education, Singapore

Pre-service Teacher Education

In Singapore: Selection

Sembawang Secondary School, Singapore

There is a policy to

select the top one third

to enrol in pre-service

courses.

Pre-service Teacher Education

In Singapore: Emphasis

National Institute of Education, Singapore

• Pedagogical Knowledge

• Content Knowledge

• Pedagogical Content Knowledge

• Pedagogical Knowledge

• Content Knowledge

• Pedagogical Content Knowledge

National Institute of Education, Singapore

National Institute of Education, Singapore

• Micro Teaching

• Practicum

TEDS-M Elementary Teachers

Content Knowledge TEDS-M Elementary Teachers

Pedagogical Content Knowledge

TEDS-M Findings

Professional Learning

Communities

In-service Teacher

Professional Development

A good education system

depends on high-quality

teachers who

constantly seek to

improve their

practice, supported by

school leaders and

administrators, and

resources from

departments and

agencies within MOE.

Minister of Education (Singapore) 2009

Northlight School, Singapore

We need to build capacity for

teachers themselves to

take the lead in professional

upgrading.

Minister of Education Singapore 2009

Northlight School, Singapore

Pre-service Teacher Education

In Singapore: Structure

• All schools are Professional

Learning Communities

• School Staff Developer (SSD)

is a position created in every

school to facilitate

professional development in

all schools.

• Teachers are entitled to 100

hours of professional

development per year.

Framework for Teacher Professional Development Marshall Cavendish Institute

• Teachers as Learners

• Teachers as Observers of Learning

• Teachers as Reflective Practitioners

Princess Elizabeth Primary School, Singapore

teachers studying learning in action

teachers doing mathematics

Edgewood Elementary School, New York, USA

Scarsdale Teachers Institute, New York, USA

teachers doing mathematics

teachers studying learning in action

Bina Bangsa School, Indonesia

Keys Grade School, The Philippines

Kranji Secondary School, Singapore

teachers studying learning in action

Country Presentation Professional Development of Mathematics Teachers Pretoria, South Africa

Mathematics Teacher Preparation & Professional Development in Singapore

Yeap Ban Har Marshall Cavendish Institute Singapore

www.banhar.blogspot.com

… mindsets are changed,

knowledge is constructed,

and the capacity to learn is enhanced.