Early in his profession, Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) lecturer Jayden Ang participated in a curriculum evaluation of a module he was instructing. Though he had a PhD in chemistry and powerful topic information, he discovered himself on much less sure floor when the dialogue turned to instructing and studying.
“Many pedagogical ideas and phrases have been unfamiliar, and I typically struggled to comply with the dialog,” mentioned Dr Ang. “It grew to become clear that understanding a topic just isn’t the identical as understanding how college students study or learn how to design efficient studying experiences.”
That realisation prompted Dr Ang to pursue formal trainer coaching. In 2024, with NYP’s assist, he accomplished a Grasp of Schooling (Studying Sciences & Applied sciences), or MEd (LST), on the Nationwide Institute of Schooling, Nanyang Technological College, Singapore (NIE NTU, Singapore). The programme deepened his curiosity in pedagogy, academic expertise and analysis.
It has since been refreshed because the Grasp of Schooling (Studying Sciences & AI), or MEd (LS&AI).
“Curriculum design includes greater than deciding what content material to show,” he mentioned. “It additionally requires an excellent understanding of the educational sciences – how college students study, when and why explicit approaches would possibly assist that course of, and the way expertise can meaningfully improve studying.”
ASKING BETTER QUESTIONS ABOUT TEACHING
Returning to the classroom as a pupil gave Dr Ang contemporary insights into his personal polytechnic college students’ experiences, from navigating blended studying to managing evaluation deadlines. Studying alongside classmates from totally different elements of Singapore’s training sector additionally uncovered him to totally different factors of view.
“Listening to their views made me extra open to questioning my very own instructing practices,” he mentioned. “When designing or reviewing a lesson or evaluation, I now assume extra critically about why an method ought to work, the way it helps studying and learn how to consider its effectiveness. I have a look at a number of sources of proof, together with pupil suggestions, studying outcomes and related analysis.”