Teacher talk has been found to significantly affect children's early language development during shared book reading; however, the mechanism of such influence remains unclear. The current study has zoomed in on vocabulary development in Mandarin as a heritage language (HL) in Singapore kindergartens, 1) exploring the linguistic features (i.e.…

This paper compares conceptions of teacher quality in two education systems -- Singapore and Hong Kong -- that consistently perform well in international assessments of student achievement. Both systems constantly refresh their expectations of teacher competencies, with recent iterations, which offer a just-in-time opportunity to learn from how…

This paper explores the identity of teachers in international schools who are embarking on postgraduate studies in education. Based on semi-structured interviews with 20 teachers starting an international qualification, it establishes key aspects of their identity and notes that they feel distinct from teaching professionals in their passport…

Unequal access to qualified teachers for children of different socioeconomic status--also known as inequitable teacher sorting--has been increasingly put forth as one potential factor contributing to the socioeconomic achievement gap. Despite this, few studies have investigated cross-national differences in teacher sorting, and none have examined…

Increasing the supply of qualified teachers is a priority in many nations as a prerequisite to accomplishing UNESCO's Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) to "ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all" by the year 2030. Questions remain however concerning definitions and…

In Singapore, early childhood care and education has evolved according to the nation's needs since its independence in 1965. From a welfare scheme to custodial care, early childhood care and education is now recognised as a critical part of children's learning and development. Over the years, the government has progressively implemented policies…

Education reform is increasingly based on emulating the features of "world-class" systems that top international attainment surveys and, in England specifically, East Asia is referenced as the "inspiration" for their education reforms. However, the extent to which the features identified by the UK Government accord with the…

This study employs the Specificity Principle to examine the relative impacts of external (input quantity at home and at school, number of books and reading frequency at home, teachers' degree and experience, language usage, socioeconomic status) and internal factors (children's working memory, nonverbal intelligence, learning-related…

Teachers are the most important school resource. In every country, teachers' salaries and training represent the greatest share of expenditure on education; and this investment in teachers can have significant returns. Research shows that being taught by the best teachers can make a real difference in the learning and life outcomes of otherwise…

The current study explored the home and school factors that are important for Singaporean pre-schoolers' (N = 1440) early English development from K1 to P1. Language input quantity and quality factors at home (e.g., number of English books,) and at school (e.g., instructional support in class) were used to predict children's English vocabulary and…

Timely analysis of trends and issues in TVE can help TVE stakeholders cope with rather than oppose them. Educating in the direction of the trend and resolving the important issues can maximize TVE's chance of success. The purpose of this paper was to identify trends and issues in the TVE in 10 Indo-Pacific countries. To achieve this purpose, a…

To contribute to the global discussion about what makes an effective teacher, Pearson surveyed students ages 15-19, teachers, principals, education researchers, education policymakers, and parents of school-aged children in 23 countries (Canada, U.S., Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Finland, Germany, Poland, England, Morocco, Egypt, South Africa,…

Sensory integration (SI) therapy is a popular form of intervention for children with disabilities, particularly those with autism spectrum disorders, even though research evidence demonstrating beneficial outcomes from the use of SI therapy is limited. A questionnaire was distributed to early intervention education service providers in Malaysia…

This study investigates the similarities and differences of mathematics-related teaching competencies between the future secondary school teachers of Taiwan and Singapore by using data from the international Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics (TEDS-M), organized by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational…

Increasing lecturer turnover rates and fewer qualified recruits choosing a career in academia threaten the integrity of the tertiary education system in Singapore. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the relationship between lecturers' job satisfaction levels in a public tertiary institution and selected demographic variables. The study…