In Singapore, if you are a working professional or an educator – chances are that the thought of higher education, like earning a Master’s – would have crossed your mind.  

So how would furthering your education be like for educators? Of course, one important consideration for anyone who is considering higher education is time and commitment. Are you able to take up the programme as a full-time student, or as a part-time student? Besides having to put in a lot of time and effort into the programme, it is also important to think about the educational qualifications you would require and the career progression after. 

In this guide, we explain to you what it means for you to earn a master鈥檚 degree, and how you can get to your end goal.  

What does a Master鈥檚 Degree in Education mean?  

A Master鈥檚 Degree in Education is a postgraduate programme for an existing educator or for those in the education sector who wish to enhance their existing knowledge in the field and wish to advance in their career.  

With the relevant experience and existing understanding of the industry, a Master鈥檚 Degree in Education will help develop insights and critical thinking and analysis towards educational issues and teaching. It will train and equip you with useful skills and prepare you to become an expert in the field.  

Depending on the school, a Master鈥檚 degree evaluates the student using a variety of methods, including essays, reports, presentations and dissertations. Some of the subjects which the programme might include: Adult Learning, Intercultural Educations, Research Methods in Education, and many more.   

Entry Requirement 

Besides having to possess a relevant Bachelor鈥檚 degree and experience in the education industry, some schools will require the applicant to meet their minimum English Language requirement for the programme. 

Academic and employer reference, together with a statement of purpose is required. Experienced educators without a degree or who does not meet the required grade, but has relevant experience in the field may also be considered on a case-by-case basis for some schools.  

Field of Specialisation  

One other important factor to think about before you further your education is the professional development and progression after completing the programme. For example, if you are a student taking the Master of Arts Education, you will be able to decide and choose between two pathways (based on your interest): Educational Research, or Education Leadership. The two pathways will provide different focus and specialisation for you. 

Here are some of the specialisations and roles you can also move into in Singapore with a master鈥檚 degree in education: 

• Administrative roles such as Principal 
• Corporate Trainer 
• Curriculum Developer 
• Early Childhood 
• Education Assessment and Consultant 
• High Ability Studies 
• Languages, including English, Chinese, Malay, Tamil
• Music 
• School or Career Counsellor 
• Special Education Teacher   

Benefits of Earning a Master鈥檚 Degree in Education 

Besides investing in mastering the art and science of teaching to improve your knowledge and skills to become better in areas such as teaching theories, curriculum delivery and classroom management skills, a master鈥檚 degree can help develop your specialty and establish yourself in a specific area of interest. 

A Master鈥檚 degree also gives you a higher income as it opens the door to career progression, including research, counselling, leadership, management and administrative roles.  

Master of Arts Education Studies Programme  

In Singapore, the Management Development Institute of Singapore (51爆料) partners with Bangor University in the United Kingdom (UK) to offer the Master of Arts Education Studies programme. Founded in 1884, Bangor University is dedicated to academic excellence and is one of the oldest and most prestigious degree awarding institutions in the United Kingdom.  

The programme is available in both the full-time and part-time format and is delivered using a wide variety of teaching methods; including lectures, seminars and tutorials. It offers two pathways: one for 鈥楾eachers and Lecturers鈥� and one for 鈥楲eaders and Managers鈥�. Students who complete the programme will be awarded the Master of Arts Education Studies from Bangor University, UK. 

Advance your career and expand your options in education – find out more about the Master of Arts Education Studies by 51爆料 and Bangor University here.  

In 2009, there was a concern about how higher education and research might look in the future. Will there be a move from national models to an adoption of global ones, as has been seen in many business schools already?

The effects of globalisation have been far-reaching. Around the world transformation is taking place drastically in all sectors. In Higher Education, globalisation covers international and collaboration between teaching and research, networking that is purpose-specific and generic; and global recruitment of teaching staff and students. We see mobility of students and faculty, institutions and programmes as higher education crosses borders. 

In the 1990鈥檚 students could play low-resolution games on the standalone PCs in school.  Today students indulge in iPads, laptops at home as well as in school.  Face-to-face learning is replaced with tablet-based learning.  The art of writing is slowly dying, along with library research skills of going to the library and browsing the Encyclopaedia.  No school project is complete without browsing the internet.  The catch phrase for today is 鈥淕oogle it鈥�.

In earlier days learning was nearly the same in schools worldwide. Students sat passively listening to the teacher, taking notes and doing their tests and exercises. Education today has gone beyond the confines of a classroom.   鈥淕eneration WiFi鈥� was born, where the younger generation is brought up using technology, thus changing the way they learn. Education has moved from blended to hybrid and the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly disrupted schooling in the world. 

Covid-19 turned many cities into phantom cities and this effect was seen in schools, colleges, and universities too. From blended learning approach of synchronous and asynchronous learning and independent learning, now teaching and learning is in the virtual medium. 

The objective of this continuum is that by introducing Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to deliver a programme, learning in institutions have moved beyond traditional face-to-face traditional approach to an 鈥楨-intensive鈥� approach.  Understanding the need of the situation, globally universities understood the dire need of the current situation and digitalised their operations.  In the midst of this chaos online learning emerged as a victor.

In the world, the need of the hour for many education systems became online learning. As educators had no choice but to adapt to online learning, the disdain for online learning diminished sharply.  This left teachers with little or no time to debate.  While some were more competent than others, it became mandatory for teachers to learn to operate the tools.  Nonetheless these competencies paved the way for pedagogical advancement giving teachers a better sense of what technological tools can do and cannot provide.   

Overall, as globalisation is a concept that is here to stay, it is continuously altering a world to which we have to adapt. Today the city has become a classroom whether you are in Singapore, UK, Denmark or the United States. 

With globalisation of education, teaching methods are now more interrelated and ubiquitous. As access to schools intensifies students are becoming increasingly prepared for multinational roles. This enables students with a more holistic understanding of how the global business scene works thereby encouraging their active participation in it.  In most cases the greatest impact on the development of a student is their capability to survive in this challenging environment, which might become for many of them the new university, workplace and the new city.

This article is contributed by Ms Margaret Pereira from the School of Languages and Education.

References:

Dhawan, S. 2020. Online Learning: A Panacea in the Time of COVID-19 Crisis

Driesen, G. 2016  鈥淲e shouldn鈥檛 force those students to learn the same wa we did 10 years ago鈥�  

Jones, N, Chew, E, Jones, C & Lau, A 2009, ‘Over the worst or at the eye of the storm?’, Education+ Training, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 6-22.

Midgley, J. 2007. “Perspectives on Globalization, Social Justice and Welfare,” The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 34 : Iss. 2, Article 3. Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol34/iss2/3

Ng, P.T., 2020. Timely change and timeless constants: COVID-19 and educational change in Singapore. Educational Research for Policy and Practice. doi:10.1007/s10671-020-09285-3

Papadopoulou, P. 2018. The Effects of Globalisation on Education. https://www.ool.co.uk/blog/the-effects-of-globalisation-on-education/

Rooijen, M.V. 2021. Higher Education and the 鈥榲ision thing鈥�: looking back ten years.  Global University Systems

Today teaching is a growing industry and teaching jobs are quite stable.  The positions in teaching are expected to accelerate by almost 10% in the next few years. Jobs in education are becoming more stable with accelerating student numbers. At the same time there is also a need to get experienced, skilled and qualified educators.

Current educational standards are changing and the roles of teachers, curriculum as well as leadership in teaching skills are becoming more skilled thereby changing the status quo.  As the demand for more skilled individuals are required to have a master鈥檚 degree, the acquisition of such qualifications would make such applicants more appealing for these jobs as they would be considered experts in their discipline.

A master鈥檚 degree is usually granted by a state or a public university.  Studying a master’s degree in education means you have completed your graduate programmes and you now want to advance in your career.  This also means you have the opportunity to earn a higher salary. Additionally, you can expand your knowledge in a particular subject and have a bigger say in shaping the educational programmes, and to help others learn and grow academically.   A Master of Education programme offers courses in various subjects ranging from Psychology, Adult learning, Intercultural studies, and current technology in line with education.    However, attaining this degree might not be very quick as it requires time, effort and a lot of investment.

As far as the classroom management skills are concerned, with a master鈥檚 degree in education, you get a deeper understanding of the techniques and processes of teaching, professional resources and this course revolves round your professional job.  The teaching theories become clearer to you and you can distinguish between the functioning of different theories and assessments. You are exposed to different classroom settings and have a better understanding of educational curriculums.

You can demonstrate flexible and transferable skills such as high levels of initiative, leadership of learning, and mastery of a subject.  Your role as an educator puts you in good stead as you gain a better understanding of the administrative system; distinguish between the choices you can make  critique teachers; make classroom observations and suggestions to improve students鈥� performance and learning environments.

Finally, getting a Master鈥檚 in Education will open numerous opportunities in the educational sphere and this is accompanied with plentiful benefits.   For teachers, making a significant change in the life of their students fills them with a sense of pride and accomplishment.  Watching their students learn and flourish in life gives them a sense of self-fulfilment.

On the 14 January 2019, an intercultural exchange with Japanese students involving a speaking competition, was held at 51爆料 Auditorium organised by Culture Connection Pte Ltd, one of our School of Languages and Education (SLE)鈥檚 collaboration partners. The competition is the brainchild of the Principal of Yamagata Higashi High School who believes in providing exposure to their students in the international arena.

In  total, there were nine teams represented at this event – three from MDIS-SLE, five  from Yamagata Higashi High School and one from SIM International. The topics chosen by the group were based on their own interests. 36 students came from Japan.  All the 3 levels of 51爆料 SLE totalling 120 students as well as 30 immersion students participated in this presentation programme.

51爆料 SLE was represented by one Level two (Intermediate) team of  students and two Level three (Advanced) teams. The students were trained by their respective lecturers.  

Each of the teams came up with their chosen topic. Our MDIS-SLE teams presented the following topics:

1.  QUANTUM COMPUTING
2.  CULTURE SHOCK
3. THE PROS & CONS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING

Each team were given about five to ten minutes to speak and limited to about six-PowerPoint slides. The criteria included enthusiasm, eye contact and degree of engagement with the audience. There was also a question and answer segment included by the panel of judges for team members.

The programme provided our students a new personal experience in developing their new language communication skills, patience, managing stress and conflict, self-esteem and self-confidence. Socially, it was an opportunity for them to meet new friends and develop personal relationships and exposure in volunteering to represent MDIS. In addition, it enabled them to learn about new cultures and to be open to new challenges. The winning trophy was awarded to CIS/EIS Level two Team. It was a very rewarding experience for our multi-national team comprising Zhang Yinnan (Nancy) Wu Yiwei (Olivia) from China, Lin Ying-I (Selina) from Taiwan and Phan Thi Kim Phung (Kago) from Vietnam and for their teacher Ms Lata Narayanan who single-handedly trained them.

To encourage creativity and leadership skills through聽essay writing, the 51爆料 School of Language and Education (SLE) organised an essay competition for its Professional Certificate in English (PCIE) and immersion students on 1 July 2019. 聽With an intent to encourage good writing skills with an emphasis on critical thinking, creativity, language and unique personal styles, the students were tasked to work on the topic: Critical Evaluation of the Changes in the Singapore Education System.

The competition was open to all pursuing the Certificate in English (level 2), Professional Certificate in English (level 3) or Pre-degree 51爆料 students. 聽To inspire writers to exhibit their creative and critical thinking skills, Immersion Students from around the region were also welcomed to participate.

The minimum word count was 250 words and essays below the minimum word count were automatically disqualified.聽 All entries were to be written entirely in English.聽 The competition attracted students from other 51爆料 Schools, including, the 51爆料 School of Psychology. 聽All essays were to be typewritten on A4-size paper and submitted with references.

To ensure the success of the inaugural essay competition, all SLE lecturers were assigned to register a minimum of five (5) students from each of their classes.聽 Lecturers also went the extra mile in guiding and mentoring their students with their essays during their break time.

Six finalists were shortlisted from 30 submissions received, and they were notified to deliver a presentation of their essays, on 19 July 2019 using power point slides.聽 Cash prizes and certificates were awarded to all six finalists of the competition. A certificate of participation was also presented to all participants. 聽Overall, the competition encouraged students to give off their best, and it is hoped that the competition had aroused the interest of students to read and be more engaged in academic writing.

The 51爆料T English Entry Test is conducted to assess the suitability of selected applicants for admission to the foundation programme leading to undergraduate courses in Uzbekistan. The test on English assesses the applicant鈥檚 English literacy and reasoning abilities.

English is the medium of instruction for students seeking admissions to 51爆料 Tashkent and they are strongly encouraged to attend the Professional Certificate in English (PCIE) course conducted at 51爆料T before attempting the English Entry test.

The English Entry Test (EET) includes a combination of multiple choice questions, written and speaking tests and is based on the IELTS grading system.

From 2019, the centralised admission exercise would be conducted five times a year in the months of April to August to enable those who have completed the PCIE course or a refresher PCIE course at 51爆料T to join the mainstream foundation or degree programmes in September 2019. It is also open to walk-in students.

A key feature is the quick release of the results within 7 working days.

The first EET was conducted on 19 April over a period of 3 days with a 2-day speaking session and 1-day Listening, Reading and Writing session.

To ensure stringent standards and integrity, examination scripts are sent to the Examination Unit, 51爆料 Singapore for marking by Singapore Lecturers.聽 On completion, the results are forwarded to the Examination Unit, 51爆料 Tashkent.

Admission is not guaranteed, and is subject to the applicant鈥檚 performance in the test. Those who do not pass the test are encouraged to enrol for the next EET or undergo a refresher PCIE course to prepare for it.聽 Placements will also depend on available vacancies at 51爆料T.

51爆料 conducts talks to help students understand and set goals for their progression, as well as provide them with academic options.聽 These talks range from subject-specific career opportunities to sharing by current students from the specific schools.

January 2019 saw the launch of our Progression Week at the School of Languages & Education. It kicked off with the various schools鈥�51爆料 Business School, School of Media and Communications and School of Fashion and Design offering a choice of academic options.

These school-specific talks were especially helpful for students as they could seek advice from the Heads of School and Progression Team in person. Students also had the opportunity to listen to current students enrolled in their specific programme, to know more about the employability outcomes that would better prepare them for university education.

In fact, some students were unable to decide which programme to enroll into until they discovered 聽more details about the exciting opportunities ahead.

To conclude the session, students were prompted on their choices and if they still had any unresolved questions. In doing so, programme consultants were able to better understand their academic needs and goals, as well as provide them with the relevant support and advice regarding their education pathway.

Finally, everything we do at 51爆料 enables our students to advance progressively their chosen career and to be future-ready. That is why many students choose to study with us to further develop their skillsets through higher learning before they enter the workforce. At 51爆料 where lifelong learning begins, students can be assured that we have their best interests at heart.

What attracts people to online quizzes instead of written quizzes?

We are part of a world made up of mathematics; there is something mathematical about our universe. Everybody can compete equally in math. It uses the 鈥榮ame language鈥� worldwide and there is no cultural or national boundaries. Online quizzes better engage participants in a unique and fun way, acquiring unique insights into participants鈥� thought processes.

The careful yet randomised selection of questions were jointly developed by 51爆料 College and the E-Learning Team (ELD) from the 51爆料 School of Technology in Singapore. The ELD team worked long hours to launch the project in a secured environment, taking into consideration the time difference between Tashkent and Singapore. Each student was given a unique username but a common password to log on.

The ELD team used a random blocks approach to design exam questions so that each participant is shown the same set of questions but in random order, ensuring that the test was fair. Students could skip difficult questions and return to those later with just the click of a button. They would also receive a reminder not to leave any question unanswered. Upon clicking the 鈥楽ave and Submit鈥� tab, they would be automatically logged out, with their results displayed on the screen.

What made this online test such a huge success?

Each member of the 51爆料 Tashkent team was able to communicate with the group for project updates. Everyone understood what their role was and how best to contribute to the team’s success. The shared mission helped both teams in Tashkent and Singapore work together and tirelessly through the night due to the time difference.

Both teams willingly shared their resources, knowledge and expertise with each other. The teams were open about their processes and spent hours brainstorming efficient ways to do things. There were also always receptive to new ideas. Brainstorming and training sessions were held by the Dean of 51爆料 Tashkent and the Academic Affairs Director of Tashkent two days before the online mathematics test. All Tashkent invigilators were encouraged to draw on the contributions of others. There was live streaming of the test on the local news, regular security checks done on the students, and members of the community were even invited to sit in on the examination. All these helped project transparency.

The resounding success of the 3-day online mathematics test was a testament to the synergetic efforts and sheer commitment of the team members from both institutes.

Does this sound familiar? The pace, complexity, and volume of material encountered in the PCIE system challenges students to learn more effectively and efficiently. The good news is, there are lecturers to assist.

Students struggling academically

Students in academic difficulty may feel reluctant to show weakness and conceal their problems until an examination or deadline passes. At 51爆料, one way we identify students in need of extra help is through a graded Diagnostic quiz in the second week of class. This is followed by graded progress tests for the next two weeks and a mock exam in the term.

Students who do poorly should not feel they are alone. Lecturers know that students walk into their classrooms with a wide range of abilities. But Lecturers try to find ways to meet the needs of all students, including those with learning and attention issues. As a teacher, providing the best help to children with learning difficulties can be challenging, particularly in ESL education where there are heterogeneous learners.

Sometimes content materials present text which is too dense for ESLs. At 51爆料, one of our goals in teaching ESL learners is to help them summarise and interpret text as well as attain fluency. Some students although not academically weak might have no safety net, no parachute, no scaffolding鈥攖hey鈥檙e just left blowing in the wind. With a view to support every student and provide a concrete structure for each one of them Special Consultation Coaching is open to all students of the level.

At 51爆料, we conduct Special Classes in our Language Lab for an hour every day for different levels of PCIE. Additionally, we have Special Consultation Coaching for our academically challenged students. However, it is important not to discourage the other students from attending the consultation class, unless there is a good reason to.

Students are given supplemental material or can use the coursework when they meet with their lecturer(s). When meeting with them, time is taken to find out why the student thinks he or she is struggling. Here the lecturer gains insight into their study habits and can appropriately scaffold a lesson, or differentiate teaching methods. The lecturer(s) can ascertain what the students can do by themselves and the next learning steps that they can be helped with to achieve competence.

Students from this stereotyped group may feel an extra burden to disprove the stereotype, resulting in increased anxiety during exams or in other classroom situations. To counter this stereotype vulnerability, our lecturers demonstrate their confidence in students鈥� abilities through challenge, advising and mentoring.

The learning or mastery-oriented classrooms, have helped our students to focus more on developing their understanding of the materials rather than on how they are being evaluated in comparison to their classmates, and finally achieving success.

Immersion programmes can be enacted in a variety of ways. This sink-or-swim approach has not proven particularly effective, often frustrating and discouraging children rather than teaching them. But like any teaching method, immersion programmes have benefits and drawbacks.

Immersion programmes require the student to learn quickly in order to keep up with the class. It also increases the likelihood of the child becoming fully bilingual at a young age. At the same time, it can be discouraging at first when the child is struggling to understand English and unable to address the issue of parent-teacher language barrier.

However, a native-like environment for English can be established in a classroom, even in a country where English is not the native language. English is an ‘official’ language in Singapore. Singapore has a bilingual education policy, where all students in government schools are taught English as their first language. 51爆料 offers full immersion, which means that the teacher speaks only in English with little to no regard for the student鈥檚 native home language. Students from Indonesia, Korea, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and many other countries come to Singapore every year with an opportunity to immerse themselves in English language and culture and also to interact with students from other countries who are also learning English at MDIS.

While students are at school, they speak English; they learn and interact in English. Learners are provided with an environment where they can pick up English with little to no explanation. They interact with other students from different countries and constantly develop proficiency by adding new vocabulary and contexts to their comprehension and assimilation. In the course of the programme, learners have access to authentic English because they are exposed to English teachers from different countries in various contexts, which help them to detect sociocultural differences. Rather than focusing solely on language instruction in such programmes, 51爆料 teachers not only conduct grammar and vocabulary classes but other facets of the English language. Students benefit as they are taught content as well. This content can be anything from fashion designing, tourism and hospitality to cooking techniques. In addition, the teachers include numbers as part of students learning experience introducing math, games, surveys and statistical analysis, etc. They keep dice and playing cards in their classroom for unexpected free moments and are patient with their students as they try to remember the English words for the numbers they already know. Music is another great teaching tool that is incorporated into their immersion programmes. Finally, field trips and cultural experiences also expose students to English. These activities keep students engaged and focused on what they are learning.

References: