Quality of teacher training matters more than duration of NIE programme, aspiring educators say

CNA

3 days ago

SINGAPORE: Reducing the duration of postgraduate teacher training in Singapore from 16 months to 12 could make a difference in attracting applicants, but won't be as important as making the programme both effective and efficient, aspiring educators said.
Earlier this week, Education Minister Desmond Lee announced that the training period for the National Institute of Education's (NIE) Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) would be shortened by four months.
This is part of a regular review of teacher preparation programmes, according to the Ministry of Education (MOE) and NIE.
'The review builds on the strengths of the current PGDE, and will not affect the rigour of the programme,' the agencies told CNA in response to queries about the change.
The review - by educators and leaders from MOE and NIE - is ongoing, with details and the start date of the shorter diploma programme to be announced later.
In 2016, the PGDE programme was extended from 12 months to 16 months.
CNA spoke to three prospective teachers and one teacher who recently completed the programme, about the significance of the the latest change.
Mr Linus Chen, currently in the programme, believes a shortened course could still be effective as long as useful classes are retained.
These include educational psychology and subject-specific classes, though there are others that feel redundant due to overlaps, the 26-year-old told CNA.
He said the contract teaching stint before starting the programme was 'very, very important', both for schools to assess trainees and for trainees to see if they are suited to teach.
According to MOE, this stint generally lasts at least four months.
The ensuing 16-month NIE programme then includes another two stints of teaching in schools – four weeks of teaching assistantship, then 10 weeks of teaching practice towards the end of the course.
'To be very frank, the best way to learn is to do it on the job,' said Mr Chen. 'Trying to learn teaching without having real students is like trying to learn driving without having a car.'
What is valuable about NIE's programme is having time to reflect on past teaching experiences and sharing ideas with friends, he added.
A junior college teacher who switched careers and attended the NIE programme last year also said the teaching stint before the course was the 'most valuable part'.
Shortening the NIE course is unlikely to make a difference to the quality of the programme, said the man, who declined to be named.
'Teachers usually (give) feedback that most of what is taught in NIE is not applicable on the ground in schools anyway,' he added.
'Some other modules that took place during our year at NIE felt unnecessary or cursory, so I do feel the efficiency of the training duration – rather than the length – is what should be looked into.'
From 2022 to 2024, around 390 student teachers enrolled in NIE's postgraduate diploma programme each year. They were either fresh graduates or hailing from different industries.
ATTRACTING TEACHERS
In announcing the review, the education minister said it was to meet the learning needs of an 'increasingly diverse" teaching force.
Mr Lee also said MOE was redoubling efforts to attract teachers and welcome people with different life experiences and skills, including those making a career switch.
One mid-career switcher who has applied to NIE's programme said the four-month reduction would make a 'tangible difference' for him.
It would make the programme 'less daunting' for new applicants from a 'sunk cost perspective', said the man, who took a pay cut to join teaching. He declined to be named in this article.
He too said that what mattered more was making the training effective and helping teachers adapt to the real classroom environment.
'I can only hope that the truncation of the training period is due to a meaningful consolidation of training content, and not a removal of important training opportunities,' he said.
One teacher-in-training currently in the NIE programme said those who want to hit the ground running may be incentivised to take up a shorter course.
The junior college teacher who attended last year, however, told CNA he did not expect the shorter duration to make a big difference for those passionate about teaching.
NIE associate professor in policy curriculum and leadership Jason Tan, who is not involved in the review, noted that the postgraduate programme faces the challenge of equipping both fresh graduates and mid-career professionals, who may have varying degrees of exposure to training and education, with the necessary skills.
Anecdotally, he has observed more mid-career professionals training to become teachers, though this is not a recent phenomenon.
Back in 2008, MOE already moved to raise salaries and speed up promotions for mid-career switchers. At the time, there were 6,600 mid-career teachers, making up 22 per cent of the education service.
Ultimately, a shorter training period is just one consideration influencing job seekers' decisions, Assoc Prof Tan pointed out.
Other factors like macroeconomic trends and the emergence of new fields of work also impact the relative attractiveness of teaching as a career, and these are not within MOE's control, he said.
PRACTICAL LEARNING ALIGNED TO INTERESTS
MOE and NIE told CNA the ongoing review will refresh teacher preparation in two key ways.
First, it will strengthen professional learning support both during the diploma programme and when teachers enter schools.
With a focus on integrating theory and practice, student teachers will learn through "different modalities, opportunities for personalised and collaborative learning and integration of skills and knowledge across different courses and learning experiences'.
Upon graduation, new teachers will receive more structured support through 'bite-sized, practice-oriented learning sessions that draw on their daily classroom teaching'.
'This will enable them to better contextualise their learning within authentic classroom experiences,' said MOE and NIE.
Second, student teachers will have more flexibility and autonomy to shape their learning.
'For example, while all teachers take core courses essential to teaching, new teachers will be able to select electives aligned to their needs and interests,' said MOE and NIE.
Assoc Prof Tan cautioned against viewing the shortening of the NIE programme duration as a 'simplistic" move.
He expects it to involve a rethinking of course structure and offerings, for new teachers to strengthen their skills in priority areas.
For possible electives, he pointed to six practice areas prioritised in the SkillsFuture for Educators professional development roadmap.
These are: Assessment to identify and address learning gaps; supporting special needs students; inquiry-based learning using questions and evidence; digital pedagogy; differentiated instruction for students with different needs; and character and citizenship education.
Electives could let new teachers explore these areas in more depth while being trained in core competencies, he said.
These core competencies are likely to include assessment of learning and performance; parent engagement; teacher-student relationships; and educational psychology and pedagogical practices, among others.