Interest change and continuity from early adolescence to middle adulthood

The present paper discusses the continuity and change of individuals’ vocational interests by reviewing recent research on interest development across the life course. Five forms of change and continuity were proposed to adequately describe interest development. The developmental trajectory of interests based on a recent meta-analysis by Low, Yoon, Roberts, and Rounds (2005) was presented. Mechanisms resulting in change and continuity are discussed within a biopsychosocial context. Implications for understanding the way interests can simultaneously change and become stable were presented.     

Autogenous culture as political form: explorations through participatory art in Singapore

This paper presents the concept of autogenous cultural practices as a political form that is neither a subject of state practices, nor a means of resistive anti-state force. Through a study of three participatory art projects carried out by the author, this paper examines how and if autogenous culture can be presented and more importantly effect societal change. These projects were carried out in a governmental disciplinary facility, a local non-governmental organization supporting sex workers and an independent art project with three young women who were graduates of the Normal Technical stream in Singapore respectively.     

Automatic conceptual encoding of printed verbal material: Assessment of population differences

The release from proactive interference task was used to investigate categorical encoding of animal and clothing items with fourth grade low-socioeconomic status black and middle-socioeconomic status white children. The print mode of verbal presentation and an ordered recall requirement were used in order to provide hospitable conditions for the detection of population differences. The results indicated parity in buildup and release from proactive interference for the two populations. The results of this study, consistent with previous estimates of release from proactive interference for these groups (e.g., D. W. Kee & L. Helfend, Journal of Educational Psychology, 1977, 69, 344–348; S. Y. Nakayama & D. W. Kee, Journal of Educational Psychology, 1980, 72, 386–393), indicate that low-socioeconomic status black and middle-socioeconomic white children do not differ in automatic conceptual encoding. Conceptual encoding differences, however, have been detected between these populations when the free recall method has been used. Thus, discussion of the present results includes a consideration of factors which may be responsible for population differences in free recall performance and preliminary evidence on this issue is provided.     

School-based assessment in the 1986 NSW higher school certificate

The paper reports an evaluation of the introduction of a school-based assessment component into the 1986 NSW Higher School Certificate. A research team from Macquarie University and the University of Sydney monitored the processes of assessment policy development in eight Sydney schools during 1985 and 1986. These case studies of process and product were supplemented in 1986 by studies in ten NSW country high schools. A survey of teachers and students in a random sample of 58 high schools in NSW was completed towards the end of 1986. The results of the case studies and the survey are discussed within the following framework: Information Flow from the Board of Senior School Studies to the Schools; Policy Development in Schools; Features of Assessment Policies and their Implementation; and the Impact of Assessment on Classroom Practices and Relationships in the Classroom.     

"The New Generation": Mental Hygiene and the Portrayals of Children by the National Film Board of Canada, 1946–1967

That is the achievement of the psychologists. In our own society they are very kind, and do everything for our own good. The tales of what they do elsewhere are rather terrifying. —Hilda Neatby So Little for the Mind (1953)     

Leadership in Singapore Schools: The Impact of National Culture

When we look at school management in Singapore, is there a distinctive characteristic that acts as a cultural imperative which shapes the working patterns and lives of school principals? As part of an international comparative study of the principalship, we sought to gain insights into the typical thinking and behaviours of four school principals. Using a cultural analysis model to examine power relationships, relationships with colleagues, gender issues and tolerance of ambiguity and uncertainty, we concluded that these leaders' lives were far from routine and were characterized' by paradox. They used a range of cultural ‘tools’ as a way of trying to sustain stability in an erratic and fast-changing system. Thriving amidst the complexities and chaos of their jobs suggested a unique characteristic, something that might best be described as ‘Singaporeanness’.     

From Einstein to Shirakawa: the Nobel Prize in Japan

There have been two Japanese Nobel laureates in chemistry, three in physics, and one in the category of medicine or physiology. This relatively small number has been attributed to shortcomings in Japanese science. The award of the Physics Prize in 1949 to Hideki Yukawa and to his colleague Sin'itirô Tomonaga in 1965 gave public evidence of how Japanese could make outstanding individual contributions to science. Paradoxically, the Prize also reinforced a belief that such men formed part of a traditional hierarchical system. This essay examines how the Nobel Prize has been represented in Japan.     

The models and hard cores: selective acculturation and racial stratification in Chinese students’ school experience in Malaysia

Are the academic and social experiences of Chinese Malaysian students as much an outcome of the selective acculturation strategy of their parents as the linguistic assimilation policy of the government? Driven by economic necessity on one hand and pressured by cultural preservation on the other, Chinese parents first send their sons and daughters to Chinese-medium primary schools and then Malay-medium secondary schools. Facing linguistic assimilation and racial stratification, students with opportunistic attitudes accumulate language capital and obey discipline rules. Those with oppositional attitudes and defiant behaviors are labeled as “hard cores” and pressured to quit school. As “model students” (high achievers) become technical professionals and “hard cores” (low achievers) work as unskilled workers for co-ethnic entrepreneurs, social stratification is reproduced within the Chinese community.     

Summative and Formative Style Anatomy Practical Examinations: Do They Have Impact on Students’ Performance and Drive for Learning?

Anatomical knowledge is commonly assessed by practical examinations that are often administered in summative format. The format of anatomy practical examination was changed at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine in Singapore from summative (graded; must pass) to formative (ungraded; no pass/fail) in academic year (AY) 2017–2018. Both assessment formats were undertaken online, but the formative mode used a team-based learning activity comprising individual and team assessments. This gave an unique opportunity to investigate: (1) the impact of two different online assessment formats on student performance in practical examination; (2) the impact of new formative practical examination on students’ performance in summative examinations; and (3) students’ opinions of these two practical examination formats. The class of 2021 perceptions was obtained as they experienced both formats. A retrospective cohort study was also conducted to analyze the Year 2 students’ performance in anatomy practical and year-end summative examinations of cohorts AY 2015–2016, AY 2016–2017 (summative format), and AY 2017–2018 (formative format). There were no significant differences in students’ performance between two practical examination formats. The cohort who experienced the formative format, performed significantly better in summative examinations (mean ± SD: 82.32 ± 10.22%) compared with the cohort who experienced the summative format (73.77 ± 11.09%) (P < 0.001). Students highlighted positive features of the formative practical examination, including team reinforcement of learning, instant feedback, and enhanced learning. These findings indicate that students continue to study for anatomy practical examination without the need for external drivers. The team-based learning style practical examination enhances students’ performance in summative examinations.