When teachers need to conduct research in the course of their work, SingTeach promises to be a most useful resource.
Sometimes teachers search the Internet for help with teaching and find themselves with dozens of possible answers. Other times they feel like they need a dictionary to read through an education journal. Recognising these needs, the Centre for Research on Pedagogy and Practice (CRPP) has published SingTeach, an e-magazine designed to help teachers. It began with one simple idea – there’s little point in doing research if it does not benefit practitioners.
“The issue has always been how to disseminate research in a way that very busy teachers - who can’t spare the time for jargon - can receive the news,” explains Professor S. Gopinathan, Vice Dean of CRPP. He adds, “SingTeach communicates these findings, using a medium that we thought would be attractive.”
Making Research Practical
SingTeach features current and relevant research from CRPP and National Institute of Education (NIE) academics set in the actual context where Singapore teachers work every day. To help teachers better understand current educational policies and trends in Singapore, SingTeach also investigates the history behind this research and debates surrounding educational information from around the world.
At the same time, SingTeach also features a special section where teachers can send in questions on issues they encounter and SingTeach staff will find NIE professors to provide the answers. Reviews on books, websites and other resources are also available for teachers to use in their own classrooms.
Making Research Interactive
This does not mean that the link between research and practice is merely one-way. SingTeach also features action research and interesting practices by current teachers and educators.
According to Professor Gopinathan, there needs to be a “dialogue” where teachers can give their own feedback about how useful research is for their teaching. He explains, “My hope is that it will be a platform for sharing. There should be a way for a teacher to write back and say, ‘I found this article interesting. I tried it out. These are my observations.’”
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| SingTeach is an e-magazine that aims to update teachers on the lates educational research. |
Making Research Interesting
Recognising that teachers are very busy people, SingTeach’s content is presented in the most teacher-friendly way possible. Gone are the academic jargon and lengthy research reports. Instead, articles include candid interviews with academics and fellow teachers, tips for applying research findings in the classroom and yes, even quirky cartoons where teachers are invited to share funny experiences and ask the question, “Who says teachers can’t laugh at themselves?”
In the end, the main objective of SingTeach is simply to be a useful part of the teachers’ working life, something they can consider their own. Says Professor Gopinathan: “I hope that a school that has done some action research should be able to say, ‘Would you like this contribution from us?’ If SingTeach gets to that stage, I will be a very happy man!”
Eager to share a story, ask a question or simply read some interesting stuff? Check out the latest issue of SingTeach! Log on to http://singteach.nie.edu.sg |
