Assistant Professor Azilawati Jamaludin and Dr Tan Aik Lim speak at the Academy of Singapore Teachers Learner Profile Cluster Learning Day 2024

On 27 August 2024, Assistant Professor Azilawati Jamaludin, Assistant Centre Director in Human Potential and Translation at the Science of Learning in Education Centre (SoLEC), and Dr Tan Aik Lim, Research Fellow at the SoLEC, were invited as keynote speakers for the Learner Profile Cluster Learning Day 2024, organised by the Academy of Singapore Teachers (AST), Ministry of Education (MOE), with a total of 200 participants from MOE schools and headquarters. Themed “‘From Having to Learn’ to ‘Wanting to Learn’”, Asst Prof Azilawati shared about the neuroscience of motivation, providing insights into the neural underpinnings of intrinsic motivation such as key neural networks involved in motivation and learning. Dr Tan then delved deeper into the construct of Interest Development and its impact on learning, as well as how it can be measured using neurophysiological measures such as electrodermal activity.

Dr Muhammad Nazir Bin Amir from AST concluded the session by engaging participants with a flying wheel toy, designed to evoke positive emotional responses. He illustrated how this toy can be used as a teaching tool to teach content across various subjects, demonstrating how teachers can design joyful teaching that emotionally connects students to the material being taught. This approach fosters students’ enthusiasm and intrinsic motivation in learning.