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Engagement is positively correlated with many educational outcomes. However, engaging learners in online learning is often challenging. In this study, a conceptual framework comprising five interrelated factors (instructors, learners, content, technology, and environments) was proposed. The purpose of the study was to explore how learners could be engaged by following the conceptual framework in synchronous online learning. Fifty-five adult learners took part in the study. Specific strategies were applied in four classes. A survey with 38 five-point Likert scale items and an open-ended question was administered. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analysed. Results showed that instructors, learners, and content were the core factors affecting learners' engagement. Comparatively, the learners' engagement was less affected by the factors of technology and environments. Results further showed that useful strategies to engage learners included providing opportunities for instructors and peers to interact frequently; having relevant content that could apply to practice; involving interactive activities like group discussions and peer feedback; and having informal conversations with individual learners. This study suggests that future studies can investigate facilitating synchronous online discussions, establishing social connectedness, and using technology to monitor learners' engagement automatically.

Critical thinking (CT) is being recognized as an essential skill for students to master in the 21st century. Previous studies have suggested that teaching CT through asynchronous online discussions (AODs) can be one of the effective ways to equip students with such 21st skill in the educational settings. The purpose of this article is to review of the empirical literature related to the use of AOD forums for development of CT. Forty-seven articles published from 2000 to the present day are included in the review. The content of the individual study was analysed through the lens of revised Community of Inquiry framework in order to get an up-to-date understanding of the issues pertaining to using AODs as a method for developing CT. By drawing on the review of the existing literature, the research on how social presence could serve a critical role in affecting the development of students' CT is relatively few as compared to teaching presence. Therefore, the dearth of empirical evidence needs more research to make the social presence more dominant in the future studies. This article closes with a discussion on current research gaps and possible areas for future research in this field of study.

Programming in schools is no longer a novel subject. It is now quite commonly found in our schools either in formal or informal curriculum. Programmers use creative learning tactics to solve problems and communicate ideas. Learning to program is generally considered challenging. Developing and implementing new methodologies in teaching programming is imperative to overcome the current challenges associated with teaching and learning of programming. This case study aims to contribute to the programming education in schools by investigating how students learn in an online programming while involved in peer review of codes. The study subsequently examines students' perceptions of the pedagogical, social and technical design of the online programming learning environment. When students are involved in providing and receiving feedback and creating their own identity in a programming community, they may be better prepared for learning and applying programming in their undergraduate studies and their future career in the field.

This paper explores three potential affordances (social, technical and pedagogical) of wikis in the context of designing 32 teachers' learning of classroom management cases. Two learning environments were designed and two groups of the teacher-participants posted their own written and audio cases, identified problems, discussed and proposed solutions with the input of their peers, in the respective wikis hosted in Google Sites[R] and Learning Activity Management System[R] (LAMS). The teachers' perceptions of the wikis' affordances to support their case-based learning were surveyed quantitatively. The five-point Likert scale survey ranked technical affordance highest, followed by social affordance and pedagogical affordance. Qualitative data from their online discussions and reflection logs were also analyzed to probe the variations in perceived affordances. Participants experienced ease of use and freedom from technical difficulties in achieving their learning goals (interaction with peers and sharing of resources). This paper discusses further work in harnessing wikis' affordances for designing more effective case-based learning environments to cater for diverse learners. It also provides suggestions for further research into wiki pedagogy

Teacher interaction skills are crucial in enhancing teachers' effectiveness in developing quality teacher-student interactions in the classrooms. Building on the existing literature on social skills, teacher-student relationships, and teacher interpersonal behaviors, this study conceptualized a teacher interaction skills framework that highlights the importance of teacher interaction skills in the classroom. Using this framework, a teacher interaction skills scale (TISS) was developed to measure teacher interaction skills in building relationships with their students. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the TISS designed to assess teacher interaction skills among 395 school teachers in Singapore. The subscales and composite scales evidenced satisfactory reliability and validity. Findings based on the nomological network of teacher interaction skills showed that TISS accounted for key outcomes in terms of teachers' job satisfaction, professional commitment, and teacher--student interaction. This study contributes to the literature of teacher-student interactions by developing a teacher interaction skills framework and an instrument which has important theoretical and practical implications for researchers, administrators, and practitioners.

In the past decade, Computational Thinking (CT) education has received growing attention from researchers. Although many reviews have provided synthesized information on CT teaching and learning, few have paid particular attention to collaborative learning (CL) strategies. CL has been widely implemented in CT classes and has become the most popular pedagogy among educators. Therefore, a systematic review of CL in CT classes would provide practical guidance on teaching strategies to enhance CT interventions and improve the quality of teaching and learning, ultimately benefiting students' CT skills development. To address this gap, this study examined 43 empirical studies that have applied CL strategies, ranging from 2006 to 2022. Several findings were revealed in the analysis. First, a wide range of theories and frameworks were applied to inform research questions, pedagogical design, and research methodologies. Second, despite the acknowledged importance of group composition in effective CL, a large number of studies did not provide details on how the students were grouped. Third, six types of CL activities and instructional designs have been identified in CT classrooms. The synthesized information provides valuable insights that can inform future research directions and guide the design and implementation of CL activities in future CT classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a survey of 100 preschool teachers from 15 preschools in Singapore using a modified instrument called the Pre-School Level Environment Questionnaire. The aims were to explore differences in actual and preferred perceptions of preschool teachers' school-level environment and to investigate the relationship among preschool teachers' profile, preschool learning environments and job satisfaction. Quantitative data using paired samples t tests indicated that there were significant differences in teachers' actual and preferred perceptions of their preschool learning environments except for the scale of Work Pressure. Logistic regression revealed a positive influence of Resource Adequacy on preschool teachers' job satisfaction.

The computer-supported Project Work classroom learning environment discussed in this paper represents a paradigm shift from teacher-centered to student-centered teaching and learning in Singapore schools. Besides the face-to-face weekly lessons in existing Project Work classrooms, the students engaged in computer-supported online forum discussions. Two hundred and sixty students and 26 teachers from seven high schools participated in this study. Their perceptions of this new learning environment were assessed using a modified version of the Web-based Learning Environment Instrument (WEBLEI). In addition, the instrument was also validated. The WEBLEI exhibited satisfactory internal consistency reliability and discriminant validity. Comparing the actual and preferred perceptions of the students and teachers revealed that there were differences between the actual and preferred perceptions for both students and teachers. With these in mind, the implications for using technology to support the face-to-face teaching and learning in Project Work classrooms are discussed in this paper. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

This study investigated a blended synchronous learning environment (BSLE), which was designed for a group of master's students taking a course at a teacher education institute. The BSLE was created for the majority of the students to attend the course face-to-face and at the same time allowed the rest to join the identical sessions using videoconferencing from different locations. The purpose of the study was to find out what learning experiences and perceptions the students had with regard to the design and implementation of the BSLE. Results show that the BSLE could extend certain features of the face-to-face classroom instruction to the online students and the students liked the flexibility and convenience of attending lessons via the two-way videoconferencing at remote sites. This study further identified that smooth communication between online students and the instructor and between the online students and classroom students, the engagement of the online students and the redesign of certain instructional activities, balanced attention from the instructor to the classroom students as well as the online students and the quality of the audio were crucial for the environment to be effective.

With the advancement in technology, learners are spending a substantial amount of time on online learning. Guided by the community of inquiry (CoI) framework (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 1999), this study examined the relationships among students' perceived teaching element, social element, cognitive element, satisfaction, continuous academic-related online performance, and academic achievement. A revised form of the CoI survey instrument was administered to 167 polytechnic students (aged between 17 and 24) enrolled in a nutrition course in a polytechnic in Singapore. Results from path analysis confirmed the hypothesised relationships among the three elements of the CoI framework (i.e., social, teaching, and cognitive) and students' learning-related outcomes (i.e., satisfaction, continuous academic-related online performance, and academic achievement). However, only the cognitive element had a direct relationship with continuous academic-related online performance and satisfaction. In addition, the continuous academic-related online performance mediated the relationships between the cognitive element and academic achievement. Generally, the hypothesized model was able to explain 46% of the variance in students' online course satisfaction and 62% of the variance in students' academic achievements.

Teachers' attitudes and beliefs on classroom management contribute significantly to student learning and development. Despite its importance, research in this aspect, however, has still been stymied by the difficulty of measuring teachers' classroom management attitudes and beliefs. Psychometrically sound instruments to measure teachers' classroom management attitudes and beliefs are still unavailable for use in Asian classrooms. In view of such reality, this study was intended to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Attitudes and Beliefs of Classroom Control Inventory-Adapted (ABCC-A) in Singapore schools. Construct validation of ABCC-A was conducted in three studies. Participants' responses to the 27-item ABCC inventory from the first-phase data collection (N = 512) were used in study 1 and study 2. Participants and their responses to the revised ABCC-A inventory from the second-phase data collection were used in study 3. In study 1, half of the first-phase data collection sample (N[subscript 1] = 259) was randomly selected for the exploratory factor analysis and reliability test. In the study 2, the other half of first-phase sample (N[subscript 2] = 253) will be used for the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) test. In study 3, participants (N[subscript 3] = 41) who completed the revised ABCC-A, teacher efficacy scale, and questionnaire on teacher interaction questionnaires in the second-phase data collection will be used for convergent and discriminate validity tests. The CFA of ABCC-A revealed a good model fit of instruction management and people management subscales and acceptable evidence of invariance among different groups of beginning teachers in Singapore primary and secondary schools.

This comparative study investigates how two groups of design and technology students generated ideas in an asynchronous computer-mediated communication setting. The generated ideas were design ideas in the form of sketches. Each group comprised five students who were all 15 years of age. All the students were from the same secondary school but different classes. In this paper, the problem that led to the study is introduced, and its related topics from the literature review are elaborated in terms of the participation metaphor, online idea generation and scaffolding. With one of the groups supported by scaffold prompts and the other contrasting group not supported, the results showed that the two groups were active in their participation, but content analyses of the generated ideas in the transcripts showed that the group that was supported by scaffold prompts did not generate more divergent ideas than the contrasting group. However, evaluation of the generated ideas showed that there was more quality in the group of students who were supported by scaffold prompts. The findings are discussed and conclusions drawn to gain insights into how scaffold prompts could benefit student learning in terms of idea generation and how future studies in this area could be developed.

Facebook is a popular social networking site. It, like many other new technologies, has potential for teaching and learning because of its unique built-in functions that offer pedagogical, social and technological affordances. In this study, the Facebook group was used as a learning management system (LMS) in two courses for putting up announcements, sharing resources, organizing weekly tutorials and conducting online discussions at a teacher education institute in Singapore. This study explores using the Facebook group as an LMS and the students' perceptions of using it in their courses. Results showed that students were basically satisfied with the affordances of Facebook as the fundamental functions of an LMS could be easily implemented in the Facebook group. However, using the Facebook group as an LMS has certain limitations. It did not support other format files to be uploaded directly, and the discussion was not organized in a threaded structure. Also, the students did not feel safe and comfortable as their privacy might be revealed. Constraints of using the Facebook group as an LMS, implications for practice and limitations of this study are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to understand how children use meta-cognition in their everyday problem-solving, particularly making monetary decisions. A particular focus was to identify components of meta-cognition, such as regulation of cognition and knowledge of cognition observed in children's monetary decision-making process, the roles of meta-cognition in children's monetary decision-making process, and the emerging factors that help to explain children's monetary decision-making processes. Data were collected from 136 mixed ability fifth-grade students (typically 10 years of age) from six different government primary schools in Singapore through focus group and one-to-one interviews. Using grounded theory, it was found that children's monetary decision-making is a complex process, that children often reflect upon unwise decisions and unpleasant experiences, and that parental involvement was an influential factor in their children's decision-making. (Contains 3 figures.)

This research investigates students' peer interactions in the Design and Technology (D&T) environment supported by "Knowledge Forum". The sample comprised of 15 students who had no prior experience in using "Knowledge Forum" to mediate their D&T learning. Their interaction with peers occurred in three stages: design situation, ideation and development. Data was collected mainly from students' online discussion transcripts, with reference to hardcopy of students' reflection logs and design briefs which were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings showed unequal participation by the students throughout their weekly online discussion activities. In terms of students' interaction with their peers, the frequency of students' reading of notes far exceeded their frequency of building upon notes, as evidenced by their social network of notes. (Contains 4 figures and 4 tables.)

This research investigated 68 secondary school students' perceptions of their computer-mediated project-based learning environment and their attitudes towards Project Work (PW) using two instruments--Project Work Classroom Learning Environment Questionnaire (PWCLEQ) and Project Work Related Attitudes Instrument (PWRAI). In this project-based learning environment, students experienced a face-to-face classroom setting and e-learning by using a synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) tool called "iCollaborate" for online communication and project collaboration with peers from other countries. The PWCLEQ and PWRAI instruments were used to evaluate the computer-mediated project-based learning environment using students' perceptions of the learning environment and to further investigate how their perceptions might affect their attitudes towards PW lessons. Students perceived the computer-mediated project-based learning environment favourably but they preferred to experience more Material Environment and more Open-Endedness and Social Presence. Simple correlation analysis revealed that all environment dimensions were significantly and positively related to the students' attitudes towards PW, while multiple regression analysis indicated that two scales, Instructor Support and Social Presence, were the strongest predictors of attitudes towards PW lessons.

This study investigated aspects of the teacher-student relationship as they relate to school adjustment with 523 Grade 8 students in Singapore. The first question examined what configurations of teacher-student support could be identified with low-achieving students. Cluster analysis identified two sub-groups on the basis of specific qualities of the teacher-student relationship and patterns of teacher interpersonal behaviours in the classroom deemed important for improving the psychosocial aspects of their school experience. The second question examined the contribution of these teacher-student relationship variables in predicting school adjustment for each cluster. Finally, post hoc analyses showed students' attitude toward teachers was significant in mediating between teacher-student relational quality and school liking. Implications from the study were discussed. (Contains 1 note and 3 tables.)

Teacher-student relationships have been extensively studied in preschool and early elementary school samples. However, much less is known about children's relationships with their teachers in upper elementary grades through high school. Using confirmatory factor analysis, this study extended previous research by providing further evidence for the three-factor structure of the Teacher-Student Relationship Inventory (TSRI) using an upper elementary school sample (n=420) and a sample from junior high school (n=635). Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was also used to examine the invariance of the TSRI across both samples. Results from multigroup confirmatory factor analysis suggested that although partial invariance was observed across the samples, the consistency of fit indices together with explicit tests for the reasonableness of partial measurement invariance provided support that partial invariance was acceptable. Taken together, findings indicate cross-sample generalizability of the 14-item TSRI measure. (Contains 3 tables.)

This study investigates how 15 Design & Technology (D&T) students (aged 15 years) participated in three stages of the design process in a technology mediated environment. The three stages are named "Situation," "Ideation" and "Development." The learning process is mediated by "Knowledge Forum" (KF), an asynchronous online discussion tool. The students' online messages and participation were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively using a self developed coding scheme. Findings showed that discussions among students were not evident in the Situation stage but were evident in the Ideation and Development stages. Participation levels from one of the three groups of students in the three design stages were very different from the other two groups. Generally, a relatively high level of in depth information processing as compared to surface level of information processing was observed in the three design stages. (Contains 3 figures and 6 tables.)

Project work (PW) provides one of the pathways for students' self-inquiry learning and collaboration in Singapore schools. In this context, PW teachers function as facilitators. This study investigated quantitatively how a group of 270 secondary-school students (aged 14 years) perceived their seven PW teacher-facilitators' face-to-face interactions with students based on the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI), and whether their perceptions of teacher-student interaction during PW classrooms were related with their attitudes towards PW learning as a whole. Seven out of eight QTI scales were associated with Enjoyment of Project Work Lessons and two QTI scales were associated with Attitude to Inquiry in Project Work. The findings are discussed in terms of how teachers who function as facilitators can translate their interpersonal behaviours into effective teaching strategies for communicating with students and facilitating students' learning in PW classrooms.

Byline: Choon Lang Quek The purpose of this study is to investigate 25 in-service teachers' experiential learning with self-created Weblogs in a professional development course. The teachers' learning process consisted of individualised and collaborative components. The teachers started by accessing the instructor's podcast on 'key concepts of a learning environment' for self-learning, followed by designing individual Weblogs for ongoing reflections and content creation linking their Weblogs to their peers' Weblogs for collaborative learning during the course. Teachers' Weblog content and reflections were analysed. In terms of individualised learning, the teachers experienced using Weblog as an ongoing reflective learning tool to document their ideas and designs of Weblogs. The teachers also experienced peer-to-peer and instructor-to-peer interactions in the collaborative learning. The key features of useful Weblogs for learning were highlighted by teachers at the end of peer critique. In addition, teachers expressed concerns about using Weblogs for their teaching in schools. Some of the teaching and learning issues include subject matter, ethics and assessment were also highlighted in this study.

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This study investigated the chemistry laboratory classroom environment, teacher–student interactions and student attitudes towards chemistry among 497 gifted and non-gifted secondary-school students in Singapore. The data were collected using the 35-item Chemistry Laboratory Environment Inventory (CLEI), the 48-item Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) and the 30-item Questionnaire on Chemistry-Related Attitudes (QOCRA). Results supported the validity and reliability of the CLEI and QTI for this sample. Stream (gifted versus non-gifted) and gender differences were found in actual and preferred chemistry laboratory classroom environments and teacher–student interactions. Some statistically significant associations of modest magnitude were found between students' attitudes towards chemistry and both the laboratory classroom environment and the interpersonal behaviour of chemistry teachers. Suggestions for improving chemistry laboratory classroom environments and the teacher–student interactions for gifted students are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]