Developing students' creativity in schools - Singapore's approach

MOULDING THE FUTURE OF OUR NATION
Copyright © Ministry of Education, Singapore.
Developing Students’ Creativity in Schools:
Singapore’s Approach
Melvin Chng
Senior Curriculum Policy Specialist
Curriculum Policy Office
OECD CERI-Durham University International Conference 2017:
Fostering creativity in children and young people through
education and culture

Overview of Presentation
2
1. MOE’s Desired Outcomes of Education and
Framework for 21st Century Competencies (21CC)
2. Learning experiences that support creativity
development
3. Role of Assessment
4. Teachers’ Professional Development
5. Effectiveness of Current Efforts
6. How We Can Improve
7. Summary

Confident
Person
• Thinks
independently
• Communicates
effectively
• Has good inter-
personal skills
Self-directed
Learner
• Takes
responsibility
for own
learning
• Questions,
reflects,
perseveres
• Uses
technology
adeptly
Concerned
Citizen
• Is informed
about
world and
local affairs
• Empathises
with and
respects
others
• Participates
actively
Active
Contributor
• Exercises
initiative and
takes risks
• Is adaptable,
innovative,
resilient
• Aims for high
standards
Desired Outcomes of Education
3
The DOE are realised through the national curriculum

Social and Emotional
Competencies
Core Values
Respect, Responsibility,
Resilience, Integrity,
Care, Harmony
Emerging 21st Century
Competencies
Framework for 21st Century Competencies
and Student Outcomes
4

Unpacking Critical and
Inventive Thinking (CIT)
5
• CIT is part of 21CC
development efforts
• Inventive thinking is synonymous
with creative thinking
• Development of creative
dispositions is part of efforts
to develop students’ CIT
• Critical Thinking and Creative
Thinking are developed in
tandem
• CIT is defined by 4 components
comprising specific subsets of
thinking skills and dispositions

Math
Student Outcomes
Confident Person, Self-directed Learner,
Concerned Citizen, Active Contributor
21st Century Competencies
Sciences Humanities PE, Art &
Music
Character &
Citizenship
Education
Co-
curricular
Activities
School-based
Programmes
eg projects,
leadership
opportunities,
camps,
exchange prog
Languages
Total Curriculum
Developing 21CC through the
Total Curriculum
6

Developing Students’ Creativity through the
Total Curriculum (Academic Subjects)
• Teaching and Learning as key lever
• Many subjects stimulate curiosity and creativity by
exposing students to novel and open-ended
problems, which require them to appreciate different
perspectives and apply learning in real-world
contexts
• CIT development is incorporated into learning
outcomes of various subjects
7

Total Curriculum (Academic Subjects)
• Since 1997, curriculum content has been reduced
to create sufficient time and space for CIT
development
• Revised syllabuses provide more opportunities for
inquiry and investigative approaches, facilitated by
teachers
8

Developing Student’ Creativity through the
Total Curriculum (Project Work)
• Project work, starting at primary school, is an
additional platform for CIT development
9
• It provides students with
the opportunity to
synthesize knowledge
from various areas of
learning, and critically
and creatively apply it to
real-life situations

Total Curriculum (The Arts)
• The General Art and Music
programmes cultivate a spirit of
creativity, innovation and
experimentation
10
Artwork by Liew Wei Chu
Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) in
response to
Georgette Chen’s “The Singapore
Waterfront”
‘In 2065, Singapore will be using flying
transport. We will see individuals and
public flying transport in the sky. We
will go to our destination faster and
our life style will be totally different. I
think this is going to be awesome. I
can't wait for that day to come.’
• Students actively engage in
creative processes and present
original ideas through creating
art works and musical
compositions

Total Curriculum (Pedagogical Approaches)
11
1. Inquiry Based Learning (e.g. Sciences, Humanities)
2. Learning through play (e.g. Programme for Active
Learning for Lower Primary Students)
3. Applied Learning
• To equip students with skills to engage in the practical
application of knowledge to address real-world
problems

Total Curriculum (Co-curricular Activities)
• Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) provide rich and
authentic opportunities for CIT development
• They build skills and dispositions for developing an
innovative/creative mindset (e.g. being resourceful,
adaptable)
12
• Some CCAs nurture
innovation/ creativity
directly (e.g. Innovation
and Enterprise Club,
Robotics Club)

Extended Opportunities for CIT Development
• MOE works with partners to provide extended opportunities
for students’ CIT development.
• Examples include:
1. Maker Faire
2. Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors’ Award
3. Singapore Science and Engineering Fair
4. Citibank-YMCA Youth for Causes programme
13

Assessment of Students’ CIT
MOE’s Philosophy:
Assessment is integral to the learning process and helps
children become self-directed learners. As such, we design
assessments with clarity of purpose, to provide our learners
and us with feedback to address learning gaps and improve
teaching practices.
• Assessment for Learning (AfL) practices are encouraged in
schools
• Where practicable, CIT is assessed in our national exams
14

Teachers’ Professional Development
• Teachers get 100 hours of PD per year
• In-service courses run by MOE HQ divisions & NIE
• No stand-alone CIT course
• Variety of foci e.g. Pedagogy, content upgrading
• Culture of sharing
• Reflection in schools
• Professional Learning Community (PLC)
• Teachers given protected time for PD and professional conversations
in schools
15

How We Can Improve
• Help teachers to continually reflect on their pedagogical practices
to strengthen their understanding of teaching and learning
• Continue to emphasise
• AfL for the meaningful development of students’ 21CC
• Student-centricity in our teaching and learning efforts
• Foster in our students
• A joy of learning to develop their intrinsic motivation to learn
and drive them to explore and discover their interests and
passion; and
• A mindset of “entrepreneurial dare” so that they learn how to
push boundaries, innovate and find breakthroughs
16

Summary
• Development of our students’ creativity is carried out
through CIT development (one of MOE’s articulated
21CC)
• We develop students’ CIT through the total curriculum –
intentional design of learning opportunities
• We leverage out-of-school platforms to extend and
deepen students’ learning
• Teachers’ continual PD is key in helping us be more
effective in our efforts
17

Thank you!
Developing Students’ Creativity
in Schools:
Singapore’s Approach

Developing students' creativity in schools - Singapore's approach

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