A Critique of the Proposed National Education Policy Reform
Alabama AMSTI
1. Math Leadership Symposium
Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative
Alabama Department of Education
Education Transformation
Some Key Initiatives Related to Mathematics Education
in Singapore
Yeap Ban Har
Marshall Cavendish Institute
Singapore
yeapbanhar@gmail.com
Slides are available at
www.banhar.blogspot.com
Birmingham Museum of Art
2. Singapore
Education Transformation
Land
270 sq miles
People
4.7 million
GDP per capita
1965 USD510
2010 USD43,300
in current USD
Junyuan Secondary School, Singapore
3. Singapore
Education Transformation
All international tests (language, science and mathematics) between 1964 and
2003 were placed on a common scale. Selected countries shown in the table.
Score 1960-1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
500 Japan Japan Japan Japan
Korea Korea Korea
Hong Kong Singapore Hong Kong
Hong Kong Singapore
400 Thailand Singapore Malaysia Malaysia
Thailand Thailand Thailand
The Philippines
300 Indonesia Indonesia
The Philippines The Philippines
Reference: E. Hanusek, D. Jamison, E. Jamison & L. Woessmann (2008)
6. Mathematics is “an excellent vehicle for
the development and improvement of a
person’s intellectual competence”.
Ministry of Education (Singapore) 2006
Junyuan Secondary School, Singapore
12. Singapore
Education Transformation
ABCD is a square.
So, AB = BC
MN = AB and PQ = BC
So, MN = PQ
It is given that PQ = MQ and NQ
So, MNQ is equilateral triangle.
Angle MQN = 60o
Angle PQN = 30o
PQN is isosceles triangle.
Angle QPN = 75o
Angle MPN = 150o
13. Singapore
Education Transformation
2010 Grade 6 National Examination in Mathematics
National
Average
Quality Pass 43.3%
Pass 84.0%
Canossa Convent Primary School, Singapore
14. Singapore
Education Transformation
1982
Introduction of Singapore mathematics
textbooks as they are known today.
Mathematics is “an excellent
vehicle for the development
1992 and improvement of a person’s
Introduction of Problem- intellectual competence”.
Solving Curriculum Ministry of Education Singapore 2006
1997 2001
Thinking Schools Introduction of textbooks published by
Learning Nation private publishers and approved by
Ministry of Education.
2007
New editions of textbooks are
published with the introduction of the
revised curriculum.
16. Grade 12 or
Singapore Polytechnic
Diploma
Education Transformation
Diploma in
Education
Bachelor
Bachelor Degree
Degree with
Diploma
in
PGDE
Education
Keys Grade School, Manila, The Philippines x
Each teacher receives about 120
hours of specialist training in
teaching mathematics as part of
pre-service teacher education.
Pre-servive teacher education at National Institute of
Education, Singapore
17. Singapore
Education Transformation
North Vista Primary School, Singapore
Teacher Professional Development for Early
Childhood Teachers in Singapore
Da Qiao Primary School, Singapore
18. Singapore
Education Transformation
Curriculum That
Focuses on 21st
Century Skills
Archipelschool De Tweemaster – Kameleon,
The Netherlands
King Solomon Academy,
London
High School Attached to Tsukuba University,
Japan
20. Textbooks &
Professional
Development
Math in Focus
Keys Grade School, The Philippines
Lesson Study at Da Qiao Primary School,
Singapore
21. In-service Professional Development in The Philippines
Yeap Ban Har
Marshall Cavendish Institute
In-service Professional Development in Chile Singapore
yeapbanhar@gmail.com
Slides are available at
www.banhar.blogspot.com
22. Math Leadership Symposium
Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative
Alabama Department of Education
Foundations of Singapore Math
Yeap Ban Har
Marshall Cavendish Institute
Singapore
yeapbanhar@gmail.com
Slides are available at
www.banhar.blogspot.com
Birmingham Museum of Art
48. Emphasis on Generalization
Primary Mathematics (Third Edition)
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.
Reference: Yeap (2011) International Conference on School Mathematics Textbooks held in Shanghai, China
49. Emphasis on Generalization
My Pals Are Here! Mathematics (Second Edition)
Explicit request to engage
in higher-order
competencies such as to
look for a pattern.
50. Emphasis on Generalization
My Pals Are Here! Mathematics (Second Edition)
There are
sections of the
later series
devoted to
higher-order
52. Math Leadership Symposium
Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative
Alabama Department of Education
Experiencing Singapore Math
Yeap Ban Har
Marshall Cavendish Institute
Singapore
yeapbanhar@gmail.com
Slides are available at
www.banhar.blogspot.com
Birmingham Museum of Art
93. Jay has 12 cookies.
Kimi has 9 cookies.
How many cookies do they have altogether?
Marcus has 12 cookies.
He has 9 cookies fewer than Natalie.
How many cookies does Natalie have?
Sam had some cookies.
He gave 9 cookies to Terrie.
Then he had 12 cookies left.
How many cookies Sam had at first?
95. Keys Grade School, The Philippines
Fuchun Primary School, Singapore
King Solomon Academy, London
Yeap Ban Har
Marshall Cavendish Institute
Singapore
yeapbanhar@gmail.com
Slides are available at
www.banhar.blogspot.com