Values/ CCE

Thoughts about the new CCE curriculum

The new intiative of CCE aims to inculcate citizenship, moral, character values into our students. In summary, the character values are based on the SEL (socio-emotional learning) framework and the citizenship eduction combines aspects of National Education, global citizenship (21st CC framework) and service learning. For those who are interested to find out more, I’d like to highlight the CCE toolkit that is available for downloading off Edumall 2.0. This Toolkit sets out an approach for effective implementation. It features the 5Ps of CCE: Purpose,Pupil, ExPerience, Professional Development and Partnerships.


“Purpose” and “Pupil”
A key question when reading through these outcomes are the definitions of the terms – for e.g what does it mean to apply “moral reasoning”, or maintain “positive relationships”? These “standards” or “values” seem to mean different things for different people. Even in the curriculum for example, I believe not everyone subscribes to everything set out in the sexuality education or civics education curriculum. Hence, CCE must mean different things for different teachers.

If teachers are partly responsible for teaching or living out this values, I believe it is important for teachers to become more aware of their own value system or worldview, as well as the worldviews of others. This would help them to reconcile their views with that of the curriculum in areas where they do conflict (and hence work out how to “teach” this to students), and also enable them to better help students of different backgrounds to develop their own worldview.

“ExPerience”
Being a Chemistry BT about to enter into JC, another area of concern would be how to infuse such values into my teaching. I agree with Weili that teachable moments as Minister Heng Swee Kiat mentioned, are important. As teachers, it is perhaps important for us to actively think about how to create such teachable moments rather than “wait” for it to happen. In particular, I found this paper particularly helpful in thinking about how to incorporate such moments into chemistry lessons.

http://www.jce.divched.org/journal/issues/2006/jan/PlusSub/V83N01/p59.pdf

Perhaps having an avenue/forum to discuss such strategies such as the recent CCE conference, or within clusters would be helpful for teachers as well

3 methods can also be practiced to inculcate values in our students.

(i) Through direct teaching

The traditional method of direct teaching does not seem effective here. As shared, I would endeavour to facilitate student discussions on values rather than teach it didactically. With regard to moral issues, to present the benefits and consequences to each decision and share my own difficulties and dilemmas so as to engage the students and help them to be think and be responsible for their own actions.


(ii) Through experiential learning

Games and videos that simulate real-life situations seem an innovative way of engaging students, as it did for us when we played it. On a day to day basis, I found the suggestion of teaching values in everyday tasks quite helpful – for example, when encouraging students to clean their classrooms, I could not only teach them about cleanliness but also teach them a deeper principle of appreciating all people, including the cleaners in school.

(iii) Through vicarious learning (from others’ experiences)

I learnt a lot from hearing my teachers and GESLmates’ life journeys; hence I am starting my own collection of little anecdotes and stories to illustrate certain values to my future students.

For example, when speaking to my friends who ae working now, there are many applications of ethics in the workplace

For example, in law you have to take the CFA exams in ethics, incidents of lawyers abusing professional ethics in misusing client and firm accounts.
In medicine where doctors have to deal with cases such as when a doctor
accidentally orders HIV test when testing pregnancy but patient did not occur it but she tested positive- is it right/ not right to tell the patient?
Or issues of euthanasia and palliative care.



CCE Learning Outcomes
The learning outcomes of CCE state what we want our pupils to learn and attain in CCE, and guide the development of the curriculum for CCE.
1. Develop self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve personal well-being and effectiveness
2. Apply moral reasoning, display responsibility in decision-making, and demonstrate integrity to stand by moral principles and shared values
3. Develop social awareness and demonstrate interpersonal skills to build and maintain positive relationships
4. Demonstrate resilience in the face of individual, community and national challenges, and develop the ability to turn challenges to opportunities
5. Appreciate our national identity, develop a sense of belonging to Singapore, and demonstrate commitment to the well-being, security and defence of the nation
6. Demonstrate socio-cultural sensitivity and promote social cohesion and harmony in Singapore as a multi-cultural society
7. Demonstrate care for and contribute actively towards improving the lives of others to build a bright future for ourselves and to progress together as one nation
8. Demonstrate the ability to reflect on and respond to community, national and global issues, and to make informed and responsible decisions as a citizen