GLOW @ Chong Boon

Lighting the fire of innovative school

curriculum

Chong Boon Sec School: Profile

• Government school in Ang Mo Kio heartland

• 680 students, 45 teachers• Average academic performance• Good CCA track record

GLOW@CHONG BOON

G: Growing with PRIDEL: Learning for LifeO: Opening learning EnvironmentW: Weaving the future

Sporadic innovative efforts since 2006…

• D&T – ‘Many Ways of Seeing’. A project for pupils to help them in their design skills

• EL – ‘Jiritsu’ project. A blogging project for pupils to put up information concerning careers.

…mostly within departments• MT - Designing board games

- Go Green projects- Developing Listening

Comprehension packages• Maths - Singapore Flyer

- Investigative approach to problem solving

• Science and Humanities –Interdisciplinary project at Sungei Buloh

MOE TLLM Ignite

TLLM Ignite Team• Project Directors:

Mrs Saraspathy Menon (Principal)Mr Shaw Swee Tat (VP)

• Project Manager : Mr Yeo Keng Yong (HOD Sc)

• Research Activist: Ms Agnes Ho

• Team Members: Mr Yeo KYMrs Susan KwongMr Adrian TanMs Dawn ChinMrs Jean Tilli (HOD Humanities)

School-basedcurriculum Innovation

Critical thinking

Problem-solving

Information and media literacy

ICT literacy

Collaboration

Contextual learning

Students who GLOW : Engaged, Active and Responsive Learning

Communication

An integrated curriculum model

1. Tyler’s Basic Principles-Curriculum Design and Instruction

2. Susan M. Drake, Rebecca C. Burns – Making Connections Template

Curriculum integration and innovation in time tabling

1. Science Syllabus2. Geography Syllabus

The theme used in this study was “Interactions in the Physical Environment”.

3. Restructuring school time table for PPT and banding of the two disciplines

PETALSTM framework

1. Pedagogy 2. Experience of learning3. Tone of environment4. Assessment for Learning5. Learning Content6. Students are engaged in Learning

Pedagogy

• Diverse repertoires of pedagogies including Co-ooperative Learning strategies with teacher initiated as well as student led group work.

• Use of Pedagogy was enhanced with extensive use of ICT like data-loggers, probes and digital imaging tools

Experience of learning• The use of authentic learning

experience may help pupils to transfer learning from the classroom into new contexts and link ideas with what they know

• The process skills being taught would facilitate pupils acquisition of deeper understanding of what they have learnt

Tone of environment

• The use of several different types of learning spaces; classroom, laboratories, school surroundings (eco-pond) and wetlands were stimulating and productive environments

• Safety a major consideration

• Positive student -teacher relationships built with Arbinger Results system –emotionally secure environment.

Assessment for Learning

• Assessment was aligned to the skills and content taught

• Tests, Surveys and Journals to monitor and assess learning

Learning Content• Pupils to analyse the different

abiotic and biotic factors of mangrove swamps and freshwater ponds (Science Syllabus)

• Pupils to appreciate the link between the physical environment and natural vegetation (Geography Syllabus)

Student-Centred and Student Engagement

• Student engagement being the core of PETALStm, we examined our pupils’ profile, their learning experiences so that we can adopt appropriate pedagogies and provide most interesting learning environments in engaging them in their learning

GLOW@Chong Boon Sungei Buloh Project

• Use an authentic learning environment to integrate Science, Geography, English and Environment education

• Equip pupils with Science and Geography process skills and knowledge on wetland reserve

• Pupils apply content and ICT skills learnt to investigate and study abiotic and biotic factors of mangrove swamp and freshwater ponds

Target Group

• Original control and experimental groups- 4 Sec Two Express classes

• Changed to 2 Sec One Express classes

• Reason: Able to integrate more effectively for Sec One than Sec Two

• Response: Agility and Adaptability

Research Question

To what extent does outdoor

experiential learning help

Secondary One Express students’

in achieving the process skills?

Operational definition

• An outdoor experience

1st level of engagement was the school environment - a simple simulated ecosystem was used for students to acquire the process skills.

2nd level of engagement was the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve - an authentic, complex ecosystem for students to replicate and apply the skills they have learnt.

• Process skillsSkill 1: Observing, identifying, comparingSkill 2: Presentation of information

Grouping• Seventy-six students (Two Secondary One

Express classes)

Both classes will:

complete a module on ecosystem in school

(2.5 weeks)

1E1 - Trs A (Sci) + Trs B (Geog) + Trs D (EL)

1E2 - Trs C (Sci) + Trs B (Geog) + Trs D (EL)

randomization grouping of pupils - 4 in each

group

Implementation Details

1. Pupils are taught

• basic content knowledge

• process skills

• ICT skills – data logging and

• Journal writing skills.

2. Class tests at the end of module will include

the two sets of process skills

3. Visit Sungei Buloh to apply the skills learnt and complete a task crafted by the three teachers A, B and C. Complete the group and individual components of the task requirements.

4. Respond to a Survey questionnaire (6 point Likert scale) + PETALSTM survey

5. Do a journal writing after the trip

Evaluating pupils’outcomes

• Attainment of process skills will be evaluated using rubrics. This will be assessed collaboratively by the three teachers

• Journal writing will be marked by the EL teacher

• PETALStm survey

Data collection

• Pre-test 1. Class test marks2. PETALStm survey results• Post-test1. Performance task marks2. Perception survey results 3. PETALStm survey results • Journal writing

PETALSTM SURVEY RESULTSPerception survey before the implementation of GLOW conducted in April 2008

N=76

Pearson Correlation P E T A L GA GB GC GG

P r 1 .526** .549** .475** .467** .327** 0.215 .260* .308**

E r 1 .534** .510** .624** .583** .559** .484** .619**

T r 1 .449** .493** .429** .454** .369** .475**

A r 1 .609** .626** .492** .430** .595**

L r 1 .561** .585** .501** .625**

GA r 1 .682** .624** .892**

GB r 1 .686** .888**

GC r 1 .860**

GG r 1

Engagement

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

P E T A L

Mea

n

Engagement

PETALSTM SURVEY RESULTS

PETALSTM SURVEY RESULTSPerception survey after the implementation of GLOW to be conducted in Sep 2008

School Performance Outcome on Research

• Process skillsSkill 1: Observing, identifying, comparing

Skill 2: Presentation of information

Comparative Data

Process Skills• Pre Tests: Tested under regular

school environment• Post Tests: Tested in an

outdoor learning environment with more challenging task applications

Pre test Post testMean 5.60 6.32

Standard Deviation 2.02 1.28

Effect Size 0.36 small

Pre test Post testMean 2.29 3.38

Standard Deviation 1.45 0.64

Effect Size 0.75 moderate

DATA ANALYSIS

EFFECT SIZE VALUE

ES VALUE EFFECT

Above 1.00 Very large

0.80 to 1.00 Large

0.50 to 0.79 Moderate

0.20 to 0.49 Small

Below 0.20 Negligible

Performance Outcome : Qualitative data

• Teacher Observation• Response to Survey • Journal writing

Survey questionnaire -quotesI learned things that was very different from school as we can experience ourselves at other places. I also learned that we need to work together and help each other when we are doing the experiment in sungei buloh.

Authentic learning can let us try and see more things so we can experience more things .In class we only listen to what teachers says and going to the school garden and science lab to see some creature but when we are in sungei buloh, we can see what animals live in what kind of environment and it is more exciting then class.

Sheryl ChiaPerseverance 1

Survey questionnaire -quotes

“I find that the lessons in Semester 2 had started going a bit faster than in Semester 1 and also excitement had aroused in this Semester. We had lots of investigative tasks such as experiments during science lessons. I also had to pay lots of attention to the lessons in class as each lesson was a step towards the field trip and if i had not listened carefully, i would miss lots of information required for the field trip. In total, i enjoyed the lessons and am willing to learn more.”

Sharmila D/O BalakrishnanPerseverance 2

Survey questionnaire -quotes

“I learn not to harm animals. I learn not to harm to plants. I learnt to respect the environmentyes adventurous help me to learn about the environment.

I prefer to find out myself as i must have self-discipline.”

Jerard LimPerseverance 2

Journal writing - quotes

“I felt nervous and scared because I am afraid that I would misuse or loose the sensors, data logger as well as the notebook. However, I felt excited because this is my first time using the sensors to do my project and I could get an experience of how to use them (It was quite fun!).”

Toi Min SheanPerseverance 1

How did I feel when I was carrying out the project?

What have I learnt from completing this assignment? (You may wish to include any values which you had learnt through the project)

“I learnt that teamwork is important because it saves time and we were able to finish the assignment quickly when we co-operate.”

Eileen Sng Perservance 2

Impact on Chong Boon

• Excitement generated is pervasive

• Experience gives confidence• Empowerment • Exemplification

Moving Forward

• Replicate project with different research focus

• Every other department to have an action research based project planned and infused into Dept Action Plan – trained Research Activist to be consultant

• Chong Boon Ideas Day 2009 used as platform to share innovative ideas and research findings