ICSMT Shanghai

The Emphasis of Primary-Level Textbooks in Singapore on Higher-Order Competencies
Yeap Ban Har
Marshall Cavendish Institute
Singapore
banhar@sg.marshallcavendish.com
Slides are available for download at Marshall Cavendish Institute’s Facebook or at www.banhar.blogspot.com

Background
Mathematics is “an excellent vehicle for the development and improvement of a person’s intellectual competence”.
Ministry of Education Singapore 2006
1982
Introduction of Singapore mathematics textbooks as they are known today.
1992
Introduction of Problem-Solving Curriculum
1997
Thinking Schools
Learning Nation
2001
Introduction of textbooks published by private publishers and approved by Ministry of Education.
2007
New editions of textbooks are published with the introduction of the revised curriculum.

Methodology
Sample
Two textbook series were selected.
One was the one published by Ministry of Education in 1982 and revised twice. The edition used in this study is the latest edition (1999). This was the only textbook series used.
The other was published by a private publisher in 2001 and revised once. The edition used in this study is the latest edition (2007). This is the textbook series used by majority of schools.

Details
Textbook
Workbook
1999 Series
3A 104 pages
3B 096 pages
3A-1 80 pages
3A-2 72 pages
3B-1 72 pages
3B-2 72 pages
506 pages
2007 Series
3A 136 pages
3B 174pages
3A-1 088 pages
3A-2 104 pages
3B-1 112 pages
3B-2 104 pages
718 pages

Emphasis on Visualization
See also Ho, S. Y. & Yeap, B. H. (2011). Development of Visualization Skills in Singapore Primary School Mathematics Textbooks. Paper presented at PME-35 Angkara, Turkey.
Visuals are used to teach concepts – in this case multiplication.

Visuals are used to teach concepts – distributive property of multiplication – without using formal terms.

Visuals are used in a systematic way to teach terms. The progression from visual to abstract is observed throughout the books.

There is also an emphasis on the use of concrete materials to lead to visuals.
“The main feature of the package is the use of Concrete  Pictorial  Abstract approach.”
Primary Mathematics 1999

Visuals are used extensively in solving of word problems.

The use of visuals such as the model method was in response to students’ poor performance in word problems.

Emphasis on Generalization
Looking for patterns and making generalization is also emphasized.
This emphasizes the relatedness between the 2, 4 and 8 times table.
This emphasizes a general idea – the use of doubling to multiply.

Explicit request to engage in higher-order competencies such as to look for a pattern.

There are sections of the later series devoted to higher-order thinking.

Emphasis on Number Sense
Number sense, as opposed to computation, is given emphasis.

Mental strategies are taught explicitly.

Mental strategies are taught explicitly across domains.

Emphasis on Communication
There are sections in the later series that require students to articulate their thinking in written language.

Emphasis on Metacognition
Also, the later series require students to identify mistakes.

The later series also include some open-ended tasks.

Higher-Order Competencies
Visualization
Generalization
Number Sense
Communication
Metacognition

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ICSMT Shanghai

by Jimmy Keng on Oct 14, 2011

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