Dinosaur chases and baking in Maths: It’s all about developing 21st Century Competencies

As their English Language teacher, Mdm Tay Jia Lin, exhorted students to “… think fast, work together, every decision counts to determine your escape,” students sprang into action, excitedly, working in teams to complete their tasks. Along the way, they solved puzzles, helped one another trouble-shoot problems with their VR goggles, and even came up with new ways to describe the prehistoric beasts, as having “loud, raspy breathing,” and “cold, slit-shaped eyes”.

The students learnt their noun phrases, but they also learnt a lot more – skills such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving, among others, all key 21st Century Competencies (21CC) that hold a special place in Principal Constance Loke’s heart.

“21CC is about readying our students for the future,” says Mrs Loke. We want our students to feel confident, be curious, ask questions, and take charge of their learning.”

When Mrs Loke came to Zhenghua Primary in 2019, she saw that the students were well behaved, but they would wait for the teachers to tell them what to do.

“We wanted to increase the student voice and agency, and student leadership, and get them to take initiative.” The aim, she says, is to ready students for what lies ahead. “The world is unpredictable. The only way to prepare our students for the future is to equip them with transferable skills that are important for life and work, while grounding them in values.”

This approach means that 21CC is a key consideration for teachers at Zhenghua Primary when designing students’ learning experiences, whether it is the academic subjects, the Applied Learning Programme or CCA.

Fewer worksheets, more hands-on problem-solving 

Mrs Loke says that this early experience instilled in her the mindset to “give students the space to apply their learning through creative and collaborative work and foster creative and critical thinking among students”. When she was appointed principal in 2019, she tapped on that, embarking on a process of re-envisioning for Zhenghua Primary with a focus on empowering students.

“We’re dedicated to equipping our students for lifelong learning and future readiness in our rapidly changing world; 21CC is integral to our school vision and values – empowering students with agency is crucial for developing these skills,” she asserts.

“When teachers plan their lessons, they consider the learning outcomes of the subject, ensuring that they align with 21CC,” says Mrs Loke. For instance, in Maths, the teachers engage students in active problem-solving rather than just doing worksheets. This, says Mrs Loke, encourages students to articulate their thought processes to their peers, and fosters a collaborative learning environment, as opposed to solely relying on the teacher to provide solutions.

Helping students find their voice – from party planning to seed dispersal 

Communication skills play a crucial role in the process of empowerment, and students are encouraged to present, speak and share ideas across subjects, explains Mrs Loke.

In Maths and Science, the focus is also on reasoning, problem-solving, and inquiry. For a Maths lesson, for instance, students are given a budget to plan a party using healthy ingredients. Students decide what to buy and they have to justify their decisions.

In a recent Primary 6 Science lesson, they delved into the topic of seed dispersal in plants. Mrs Loke says with enthusiasm, “Students took on the role of young scientists, designing experiments, formulating hypotheses, and selecting specific factors to investigate. When it was time to present their findings, they engaged in friendly debates about the fairness of their experiments and offered thoughtful assessments of their peers’ work.”

Primary 5 student Boobathy Harish (left) and Ming Hansong tackle the problem of wet items being thrown into recycling bin for their ALP project. From their discussions, they decided to create a “smart bin”, using Lego bricks, which could inform the user when inappropriate items are tossed inside.

On certain days in Zhenghua Primary, students plan their own timetable.

On these Self-Directed Learning days, teachers assign learning tasks and serve as resource persons for students’ learning instead of ‘teaching’ them. Students decide which tasks they want to do and when. Some take on the difficult ones first and the simpler ones later or vice versa. They also decide if they wish to consult their teachers.

“I was prepared for some messiness,” says Mrs Loke. “But I was really surprised. They [students] were so focused and engaged. The energy level was very high and this continued to the end of the school day. Some students engaged in interest-based learning after finishing their tasks while others redid the work they had been assigned until they got it right. They were so engaged, so focused and so motivated. They loved the autonomy.”

“If we want students to have voice, agency, creativity, and collaboration, the teachers need to experience it too,” says Mrs Loke. She calls this the “symmetrical approach” to changing mindsets: “We must develop within ourselves what we expect from our students.”

So, once or twice a term, teachers form groups and collaborate on various student or staff issues across the entire school, regardless of department. Teachers decide who to collaborate with and on what topic.

“In the first year we attempted this, some teachers came together for a baking activity. They later used baking to teach Mathematics, Science, and English,” says Mrs Loke, adding that this is an example of how their initial interest in baking for staff well-being translated into valuable student learning experiences.

She adds, “Sometimes, to change mindsets, you start by changing the way you teach. When you see this positively affecting students, mindsets shift.”

Meaningful learning and exam prep go hand-in-hand 

“Our main goal is meaningful learning, which makes understanding deeper,” says Mrs Loke. “It doesn’t take away from exam preparation; it goes hand in hand with it,” which is why this way of learning continues through P5 and P6.

“We believe that all learning is social and emotional, so students remember what they learn for a long time. When they engage in exciting and emotionally connected activities, they remember and can use what they learn for years. It enhances learning and gives students more to write and talk about.”

Beyond exams, these competencies will equip students to take on challenges they may face in the future. “You never know how much the teachers and the students can accomplish when you give them the autonomy, the agency and support,” she says, adding, “I believe that not everything crucial can be quantified, but it can be observed and felt.”

Every time, she walks around the school and sees the raised hands in class, the many questions, the “productive noise” emanating from the group discussions, she knows her team is doing something right.