Child and Human Development
Key Developments
Lien Ying Chow Visiting Professorship Visiting Professor: Prof Sharon Vaughn
Date of Visit: 15 August 2024 till 21 August 2024
She visited various schools in Singapore and discussed her work in learning disabilities and dyslexia with educators, speech-language therapists, SPED Educators, early interventionalists, Psychologists/ Counselling therapists, Secondary Education Support and preschool teachers. Prof Sharon Vaughn also shared her insights and expertise with NIE researchers.
Published Articles in The Straits Times
Sharing of DREAMS project (Drivers, Enablers, and Pathways of Adolescent Development in Singapore) in The Straits Times newspaper (October 24)
Principle Investigator: A/P Arief Liem
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/teacher-parent-partnership-important-in-motivating-secondary-school-students-nie-studies
Title 2: Adolescent boys feel more supported by parents, as compared with adolescent girls: NIE Study (June 9)
Principle Investigator: Dr Melvin Chan
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/adolescent-boys-feel-more-supported-by-parents-compared-with-adolescent-girls-nie-study
Key Findings:
- These articles discussed the importance of teacher-parent partnership in motivating secondary school students based on the preliminary findings from DREAMS project.
- Gender differences in adolescents' perceptions of parental support and the importance of home and school support were also discussed.
- These findings may help inform educators and parents on the appropriate and differentiated support practices between boys and girls and the importance of teacher-partnership.
Second Lee Sing Kong Professorship in Early Childhood 2024
Sharon Lynn Kagan is the Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of Early Childhood and Family Policy and Co-Director of the National Center for Children and Families at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is also Professor Adjunct at Yale University’s Child Study Center. Renowned for her accomplishments in early childhood education, Prof Kagan is a prolific public speaker, author of 300 articles and 14 books as well as a member of over 30 national boards or panels. She is the only woman in the history of American Education to receive its three most prestigious awards: the 2004 Distinguished Service Award from the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the 2005 James Bryant Conant Award for Lifetime Service to Education from the Education Commission of the States (ECS), and the Harold W McGraw, Jr Prize in Education.
Conversation with Mdm: Suriati Suradi: Perspectives about the Inclusive Music Classsoom in Singapore
In this dialogue, Mdm Suriati spoke with A/P Lum Chee Hoo about her journey into the inclusive music space, on perspectives gained towards pedagogies and practices currently being utilised in the general music classroom and projections forward.
Lien Ying Chow Professorship in Education: Visit of Clinical Professor Vivienne Riches
The 1st Lien Ying Chow Professor in Education Professor Vivienne Riches visited the National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore from 14 to 18 August 2023. She delivered a public lecture addressing the facets of inclusion and emphasised the value of lifelong learning. She also visited local special education senior schools. NIE students engaged with Prof Riches, seeking insights into inclusive education. Her visit concluded with a seminar at NIE that provided recommendations for fostering engagement and collaboration in education, along with guidance for teachers in establishing inclusive education systems.
Open Source Online Repository and Sharing Sessions
An online resource repository platform to share publications, projects and updates related to the Child and Human Development LIFE@NIE SG ® SGA was being developed. It aims to showcase the work done in NIE in related areas. Visitors to the site are able to search for publications from NIE staff with a focus on CHD in the Singapore context. Sharing sessions are also being organised for the NIE community to help them match their interests with the work of the SGA.
Appointment of Prof Len Jennings as Visiting Faculty
The CHD LIFE@NIE SG ® SGA appointed Professor Len Jennings from the University of St Thomas as visiting faculty on 5 January 2023. During his appointment, he conducted a Master of Arts (Applied Psychology) workshop.
Launch of CHD SGA Microsite
The CHD LIFE@NIE SG ® SGA created a microsite ( https://sites.google.com/g.nie.edu.sg/child-and-human-development/home ), which serves as a platform to host information on the SGA, resources and engagement activities (internal and external) organised by the SGA.
Resource and Curriculum Package for Early Childhood Educators by the Mediated Learning Laboratory (MLL)
Co-developed by A/P Chua Bee Leng, A/P Isabella Wong, A/P Nie Youyan and Dr Karuppiah Nirmala, this resource and curriculum package for the early childhood sector aimed to systematically and completely facilitate the expression of intrinsic motivation as well as develop the feeling of competence, self-determination and self-regulated learning in young children. A/P Catherine Neilsen-Hewett, Academic Director of the Early Years, University of Wollongong served as the external consultant for the project.
Appointment of Prof Vivienne Riches as 1st Lien Ying Chow Professor in Education
Professor Vivienne Riches is a psychologist, educator, researcher and consultant at the Centre for Disability Studies, Sydney Medical School. On 4 May 2022, Prof Riches presented an online webinar, ‘Inclusive Strategies for the Future’, which focused on the key definitions, principles and issues for inclusion and inclusive practice for the future.
