Introduction to Teacher Professional Learning: The Singapore Perspective
摘要
This introductory chapter outlines the book’s overall structure and uniqueness. The chapter explains Singapore’s teacher professional learning efforts across three levels of intricacies—the (1) historical and political context, (2) partnerships, and (3) school-based initiatives that shape policy to practice implementations. The Singapore education system’s historical and political context adopts a centralised-decentralised stance. Centralised planning and synergistic bottom-up efforts shape teacher professional learning. Alignment and empowerment across the system are key. Partnerships enable different professional learning experiences. The tripartite partnership between the Singapore Ministry of Education, National Institute of Education, and schools underpins many professional learning experiences. The partnership supports coherence and continuity so teachers perceive professional learning as a career-long process. Teachers are able to establish a theory-practice nexus. Teaching is a craft. Professional learning needs to grow teachers with the practical wisdom to make sound pedagogical decisions for their classrooms. Schools become excellent contexts for situated professional learning. Examples of school-based efforts could include teachers learning in professional communities or School Staff Developers leading school-based efforts. The book’s key distinguishing factor lies in the three expert commentaries that critically tie up the discourse outlined by chapters discussing each level of intricacy in Singapore’s teacher professional learning efforts.