Written by Ms Mia Harrison, Mr Yu Min Lye, and Ms Lynn Heng et al., this is a report presented at PECERA 2022 that investigated the effectiveness and sustainability of the Early Childhood Education Leadership (ECEL) program jointly launched by NTUC First Campus and Singapore University of Social Sciences in 2020. The ECEL program aims to develop leaders in the early childhood education sector so as to improve the quality of teaching and care.
Written by Emeritus Prof Marjory Ebbeck, Dr Hoi Yin Bonnie Yim, and Dr Sheela Warrier, this paper reports on a research study in Singapore that investigated the perspectives of early childhood teachers regarding the value of outdoor play and their teaching practices. The findings reveal that teachers enjoy conducting outdoor activities but face challenges such as the lack of physical and human resources.
Written by Emeritus Professor Marjory Ebbeck, this expert article delineates the neuroscience behind children’s growth and learning, and how early experiences foster their early development. This article also recommends that parents and educators provide secure attachments and safe environments for young children to self-discover. In doing so, children have the opportunity to explore, learn and grow at their own individual rate.
Written by Assistant Professor Aw Guat Poh, Dr Connie Lum, Peng Xuan-hui, Chen Yuan and Tong Qi-ying, this paper describes and examines parents’ attitude, perceptions and behaviours towards bilingual education in Singapore. Through the findings, this paper offers insights on the impacts of the “English knowing bilingualism” policies on parents’ linguistic choices and behaviours. It also highlights common misconceptions on bilingual learning, where further research was suggested to explore and investigate these findings deeper.
Written by Emeritus Prof Marjory Ebbeck et al., this paper discusses the readiness of early childhood educators in embarking on leadership roles. It also presents the factors that motivate or discourage educators from taking on such positions. Based on the findings obtained from an online survey and a focus group discussion, this paper offers recommendations with regards to organisational support that would foster and develop leadership in early childhood professionals.
Awardee Eunice Tay, who is currently a Deputy Centre Lead at My First Skool (MFS) PCC 07, shares with us her journey as an early childhood educator. Tay discusses how she navigates working with young children and their parents, as well as implementing NTUC First Campus (NFC)’s relationship-based curriculum (RBC) in her practice.
Written by Emeritus Professor Marjory Ebbeck, this expert article highlights the importance of identifying a child’s temperament and its influence on early education and development. Understanding children’s temperament can help parents and teachers recognise and understand underlying factors that facilitate or hinder healthy development. This article also provides insights and expert’s advice on the implication this brings to parents and educators alike.
Written by Dr Connie Lum et al., this paper describes and analyses Singaporean children’s English and Chinese bilingual learning environment through a survey administered to their parents. It reported that parents with higher English proficiency levels tend to be more willing to communicate in Chinese to their children. Yet, results also showed that parent’s English proficiency levels are negatively correlated with the frequency of the children’s use of Chinese language. Through the findings, this paper presents possible explanations for the results obtained and suggests that Chinese parents have the capacity to create a conducive bilingual learning environment in their families.
Written by Dr Tzuo Pei-Wen, Dr Tan Liang See, Dr Liang Jyh-Chong and Yong Foong Ling (NFC curriculum specialist), this paper highlights the differences in how teachers’ and parents’ view the professionalism of early childhood teachers (PECT). A mixed-method research is conducted on 219 parents and teachers from multiple preschool settings to investigate the gaps in the perception of PECT. As such perception gaps form obstacles between the two parties, the paper puts forward ways in which these views could be aligned and how teachers can foster better school-home partnerships.
Written by Emeritus Prof Marjory Ebbeck, Dr Geraldine Teo-Zuzarte, Cynthia Tan and Mandy Goh, this paper reported reports on a research study in Singapore that investigated curriculum effectiveness using developmental learning outcomes as a means of assessing children. The research was devised to examine if eight specified broad developmental learning outcomes could measure the effectiveness of the curriculum by assessing children's learning as shown in qualitative data. Practical examples showed evidence of children's learning and the role of the educator in facilitating and documenting developmental learning outcomes.
Written by Emeritus Prof Marjory Ebbeck et al., this paper reported a relationships-based curriculum and how it extended the active involvement of the infants, toddlers, and young children (up to the age of three) in their learning. Conducted over a year using a well-tested, traditional before-and-after methodology, children were observed to show significantly improved active involvement.
