Complexities of Educational Transfer: Lessons From Singapore Teachers' Perceptions of Differentiated Instruction

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: International Teachers

Abstract

Drawing on Alexander’s (2009) “comparative pedagogy” framework, this qualitative research investigates how thirty teachers in Singapore perceive and interpret Differentiated Instruction (DI) vis-à-vis their contexts to appreciate the nuances of educational transfers. Preliminary results indicate that Singapore teachers believed that DI is used mostly to attend to students’ diverse abilities, that DI is about using different strategies to cater to learners, and that DI promotes unfair teaching and learning practices. These findings reflect the influence of local educational policies and cultural/societal beliefs on Singapore teachers, making evident how DI has taken on localized meanings in the educational transfer process. This study spells implication for policy-makers, education change-managers, and teacher educators engaged in the transfer of educational ideas across national contexts.

Author

• Tang T. Heng, Nanyang Technological University - National Institute of Education