Assoc Prof Mark Baildon and Dr Imelda Caleon Further Positive Education Research in Singapore

In Singapore, a group of educators, parents, researchers, and other community members have come together and committed to the cause of positive education, forming the Singapore Positive Education Network (SPEN). They seek to apply the principles of positive psychology in schools to foster students’ well-being and character development and to share effective practices to advance positive education in Singapore and beyond.

Launched in 2018, SPEN is headed by their Chairperson, Dr Lim Lai Cheng, Executive Director of the SMU Academy and Fellow, School of Social Sciences, SMU, who also leads the SPEN Strategy Team. The SPEN Strategy Team consists of school leaders, teachers, leaders of positive education organisations, and two Office of Education Research (OER) faculty members: Assoc Prof Mark Baildon, OER Assoc Dean (Partnerships and Analytics) and Assoc Prof in the Humanities & Social Studies Education Academic Group (AG) at NIE, and Dr Imelda Caleon, OER Asst Dean (Partnerships) and Senior Research Scientist.

SPEN has recently launched their new website, featuring upcoming training and professional learning events, resources, and research for educators, including articles by Assoc Prof Baildon and Dr Caleon. Assoc Prof Baildon’s article outlines the relationship between Civic Education and Well-Being and Dr Caleon’s article, Positive Education: Teaching Well Being in Schools offers a research-based framework for schools to implement positive education.

Dr Caleon and Assoc Prof Baildon’s OER research projects are also featured on the website. Dr Caleon’s research project “Nurturing Positivity and Resilience in Singapore Schools: Development and Evaluation of an Arts-based Positive Psychology Intervention Toolkit” (conducted with Co-principal Investigator Dr Pamela Onishi, OER Research Scientist) is featured under the Research segment of the website, while Assoc Prof Baildon was interviewed on the Future of Work and Education: How We Can Achieve Meaning and Purpose in the Face of Technological Disruptions. This interview draws on the research project “Meaning and Purpose for Singaporean Society: The Impact of the Future of Work on Individual”, led by Principal Investigator (PI) Dr Johannis Abdul Aziz, OER Research Fellow, with the support of Co-PIs Assoc Prof Baildon, Assoc Prof Mary Anne Heng, Assoc Dean (Higher Degrees & Strategic Partnerships) at the Office of Graduate Studies and Professional Learning, and Assoc Prof in the Policy, Curriculum and Leadership AG at NIE, and Research Assistant Mr Jefferson Rajah.