1. 60 years of math education in Singapore
Lee Peng Yee
Nat Inst of Ed Singapore

2. Math education in terms of syllabus and textbooks

3. Interviews We ask 4 persons the questions
What mathematics did they learn?
What textbooks did they use?
How did their teachers teach mathematics?
How did they learn mathematics?

4. 5 periods in 60 years After WW II to first local syllabus in 1959
From syllabus A and B to syllabus C
Maths reform in the 70’s
Back to basic
The new initiatives since 1997 (refer to Soh Cheow Kian)

5. Singapore Land area: 683 sq km (263 sq miles) Population: 4 million
British colony for around 150 years
Independence in 1965
A service hub for sea, air, finance etc

6. Maths Reform in 70’s Introduced modern topics
It induced massive re-training of teachers
First locally produced textbooks
More peer learning and less reliance on teaching
Mathematics (up to Grade 10) made compulsory since 1974

7. Back to basic
It coincided with merging of different language schools and streaming of students
New syllabus with primary school textbooks produced by MOE
Calculators since 1982 and all examinations in English since 1984

8. First local syllabus
First local syllabus 1959 using the spiral approach
Options to teach mathematics as a unified subject or with different branches
Used imported textbooks
No statistics, calculus in Additional Mathematics (Grade 9-10)
Syllabus and teaching were traditional

9. Early days Built more and more schools
Schools run by missionaries and local communities
No public exam and no streaming
Expatriate teachers and foreign textbooks
Chinese schools known to be better in mathematics

10. Summary 1945 – 1960 Early days 1960 – 1970 First local syllabus
1970 – 1980 Maths reform
1980 – 1995 Back to basic
1995 – 2005 New initiatives (refer to
Soh Cheow Kian)

11. Major events Merging of different language schools
Streaming of students with different abilities
From foreign syllabus and textbooks to locally produced
From expatriate teachers to locally trained
From professional training to nurturing entrepreneurship

12. Outcome Mathematics is taught in English
Practise differentiated teaching
More science stream students and mathematics compulsory
Build up local expertise in textbook writing, teacher training and research
Own system and nowhere to copy

13. Teach less mathematics to more students
Teach less to more
Teach less mathematics
to more students

14. Words in Chinese One aspect of cultural background
Teaching 教学 means teaching and learning
Learning 学习 means learning and practising
Parabola 抛物线 means a projectile
Radius 半径 means a half of the diameter

15. Looking forward There will be a genuine reduction of content
We make thinking more explicit in teaching
There will be other modes of assessment
The use of technology makes learning more experimental
We expect an increasing use of resource materials in teaching

16. Teacher preparation Highlight subject knowledge
Teach for exam and also teach for learning
Assessment for learning and not learning for assessment

17. Conclusion The system is more structured and more officially regulated
It will remain so for the next 5 years
More room for innovation in classroom teaching
It depends on the availability of local resource materials

18. pylee@nie.edu.sg Chicago 2005
END
Chicago 2005