Singapore

Teachers, Teacher Education, and Professional Development

The Ministry of Education Headquarters centrally recruits public school teachers and sponsors their preservice teacher training at the National Institute of Education (NIE) before deploying them. A recruitment panel of experienced principals interviews the applicants and selects suitable candidates. Prospective teachers are recruited from the top third of each cohort. While a small proportion of applicants hold A‑Level or polytechnic qualifications, the majority are university graduates. Competitive terms of employment (established through regular reviews of teacher remuneration packages benchmarked against other professions in the labor market) also attract from other industries midcareer professionals who bring valuable real world experience to teaching.

For teachers who enter the NIE with a bachelor’s degree in their subject, initial teacher training comprises a one year Postgraduate Diploma in Education program focused on subject-specific pedagogical content knowledge related to teaching in the classroom. The NIE also offers a four year, full time program leading to a Bachelor of Arts or Science degree with a diploma in education, focused on subject knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge.

All NIE teacher education programs are aligned with the national curriculum and relevant to local classroom practices. Teacher trainees in all programs are required to complete a teaching practicum of at least 10 weeks, during which they learn to translate theory into practice in the classroom under the guidance of experienced teachers. Teacher trainees are assessed during their practicum and must demonstrate a minimum level of competence for independent classroom practice in order to graduate. Upon graduation and deployment to schools, beginning teachers receive further mentoring, and a lighter schedule (20 percent fewer teaching hours) helps them transition into their new role.

Teacher Education Specific to Reading

The NIE programs aim to equip all English language teacher trainees with the skills and strategies in the teaching of reading and writing. Programs are customized for teaching at the primary level (Grades 1 to 6) and the secondary level (Grades 7 to 10). For example, primary level teacher trainees will acquire knowledge of how language is learned at home and in school, and how oracy, reading, and writing can be integrated and taught in the lower and upper primary school classroom. In addition, teacher trainees will learn a variety of tools to monitor students’ language skills for the purpose of improving teaching and learning.²²

Requirements for Ongoing Professional Development in Reading for Teachers

Recognizing that teaching is a craft that needs to be continually honed through both reflective practice and purposeful professional development (PD), and that initial teacher training at the NIE is only a starting point, the Ministry of Education (MOE) is committed to helping teachers remain current in terms of skills and knowledge and be well positioned for the future. As such, all teachers are entitled to 100 hours of PD activities per year. The MOE works closely with the NIE to provide in‑service training courses and advanced programs, including master’s and doctoral degrees. The MOE also provides specialized, subject-specific PD courses to help teachers stay up to date on content knowledge, pedagogical innovations, and new assessment approaches. Since 2003, in addition to formal PD courses, teachers have had the opportunity to participate in experiential learning in research laboratories and in the business and community sectors through the Teacher Work Attachment program.^c Through local or overseas “attachments,ˮ teachers gain new experience and bring fresh perspectives that benefit students back to their classrooms.

The MOE encourages the growth of a teacher-led culture of professional excellence and innovation. The Academy of Singapore Teachers, a teacher-led organization, was established to build communities of practice for like-minded professionals of various subject disciplines and encourage teachers to come together and learn from one another. It aims to strengthen the culture of teaching excellence and raise the standards of practice in the classroom.²³ In 2011, the English Language Institute of Singapore was launched to drive excellence specifically in the teaching and learning of the English language in Singaporean schools. It offers professional learning programs conducted by master teachers and specialists in pedagogy.²⁴