Innovating the Singapore English language curriculum through lesson study

Tan-Chia, L., Fang, Y., & Ang, P. C. (2013). Innovating the Singapore English language curriculum through lesson study. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, 2(3), 256-280.

Background

Project En-ELT (enhancing English language learning and teaching) was a two-year pilot project designed to help secondary teachers in Singapore implement the English syllabus. Lesson study was used to help teachers effectively implement a combination of three teaching strategies: retelling, reciprocal teaching, and process writing.

Aims

The study explored how lesson study could be adapted to build teacher expertise in and provide feedback to schools on effectively implementing the national curriculum.

Sample

Lower secondary teachers from seven Singapore schools and their students aged 13 to 14 years were involved in the study.

Method

The teachers participated in three cycles of lesson study over a period of two years. Each cycle involved instructional planning led by school advisers, an observation of a research lesson, and a post-lesson colloquium. Research lesson one was retaught in another class with improvements suggested by the team as part of one cycle. Teachers who had not taught the research lesson tried out the teaching strategy in their own classes. Data on the learning process was gathered from field notes, running records from lesson observations, and discussion notes recorded by teachers. Data on the learning outcomes was gathered from teacher surveys to find out teachers’ views on the effect of the project on student learning, and the suitability of learning resources.

Findings

Findings indicated that over time the teacher teams moved from solo effort to more collaborative planning, and from a mechanical execution of the retelling strategy to a more skilful use of reciprocal teaching. There was a shift in focus from teacher-centric practices to more student-centric practices. Teachers indicated in the survey that their students could more critically process what they had read, used a wider range of vocabulary in their writing, and were more able to recognize common grammatical errors as a result of their exposure to rich texts. Teachers also perceived that student engagement was enhanced and assessment for learning was fostered in the classroom. An increase in teachers’ confidence and a positive attitude towards the value of lesson study were reported.

Implications

The authors suggested that Project En-ELT had important implications for addressing the issues of curriculum implementation and the sustainability of innovative curriculum practices. It provided an illustrative case on how lesson study could offer a platform for the sustained exposure of new teaching strategies across classes and for the sharing of good practices among teachers.

Original article retrieved from ProQuest.