Classroom Inquiry of Teachers from Chongzheng Primary School
Explore how two Chongzheng Primary School teachers used interactive television to improve peer editing in narrative writing lessons.
Last updated 8 September 2026
Classroom Inquiry of Teachers from Chongzheng Primary School
What does it take to get lower readiness students genuinely invested in giving each other feedback on their writing? For Gerardo Seow, Head of Department (ICT), and Quek Lew Cheng, Senior Teacher (Educational Support), the answer lies in rethinking how technology could bring their Upper Primary students together around narrative writing.
To find out, they turned their interest into a formal classroom inquiry through the Classroom Inquiry for English Language and Literature Teachers (CIELL) Course: "How can interactive television (iTV) be used to support Upper Primary EL students' peer editing of narrative writing?"
Supported by Dr Caroline Ho, Lead Specialist from ELIS, the teachers explored how iTV — a multi-touch screen with interactive features — could be woven into their narrative writing lessons. They drew on its capabilities to foster multimodal engagement and meaningful collaboration as students worked through specific aspects of peer editing.
Highlights of the teachers’ reflections on their learning:
What I learned from classroom inquiry
The team spirit and collaboration with colleagues at school enhanced my confidence in carrying out classroom inquiry. Simply knowing I was not alone in the journey was helpful. Further, we benefited from the insights and thought-provoking questions on our plans from ELIS’s facilitators and other teachers during ELIS’s CIELL course.— Gerardo Seow
I learned how to optimise the affordances of iTV to support my students in peer editing. Collaboration with colleagues helped me to examine my instructional practice to address my students’ needs.— Quek Lew Cheng
What I learned about teaching language
In verbalising my thinking when I engaged with texts, I modelled strategic critical reading skills and demonstrated how to navigate the complexities of language. Students developed a better understanding of how to critically evaluate and analyse texts on their own. The insights my students gained from my own engagement with texts as I articulated my interpretations of word choice and discussed the implications of different language choices were invaluable for them.— Gerardo Seow
My understanding of integrating iTV in teaching narrative writing skills deepened. Students were able to identify the key features and language used in effective narrative writing through collaborative peer critique. Going through the stages of inquiry further helped me to delve deeper into specific challenges my students faced in their writing.— Quek Lew Cheng
Gerardo Seow Cheng Lye and Quek Lew Cheng were awarded the Academy Awards: Associate of AST (Researcher) in 2024.