Towards Excellence in Mathematics Education - Singapore's Experience

We have realized in Singapore that both Teachers and Students are the key to excellence in education. Therefore both teachers and students have been given more time and space to develop themselves and hence co-construct excellent teaching and learning experiences. Teachers are entitled to 100 hours of training and core-upgrading courses each year to keep abreast with knowledge and skills. The Enhanced Performance Management System (EPMS) has provided a structure for them to be in charge of their personal advancement in their careers. The EPMS clearly articulates the expectations of teachers in their chosen fields of excellence. For the field, excellence in teaching teachers must slowly but surely develop themselves in the core competency (nurturing the whole child) which comprises of 4 main areas: cultivating knowledge (subject mastery, analytical thinking, initiative and teaching creatively), winning hearts and minds (understanding the environment, developing others), working with others (partnering parents, working in teams) and knowing self and others (turning into self, personal integrity, understanding others and respecting others). Through alternative assessment modes and other initiatives of the Ministry of Education such as Programme for Active Learning (PAL), students have been given a voice to articulate their preferences and co-construct their learning experiences. This paper draws on two research projects, namely Student perspective on effective mathematics pedagogy and Enhancing the pedagogy of mathematics teachers to showcase some exemplary teaching and learning experiences in Singapore mathematics classrooms. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.