OER-AST Research Webinar: Supporting Secondary Students with Special Educational Needs

The third OER-AST Research Webinar was jointly organised by the Academy of Singapore Teachers (AST) and the Office of Education Research (OER), NIE, on 23 September 2021. Focusing on “Supporting Secondary Students with Special Educational Needs”, the webinar sought to provide insights into the learning needs of secondary school students with special educational needs (SEN), and share research-based frameworks and strategies to create inclusive classrooms.

Assoc Prof Wong Meng Ee, from NIE’s Psychology and Child and Human Development Academic Group, delivered the first keynote, titled “Improving SEN students' engagement in the classroom: Considering assistive technology through the SETT Framework”. Assoc Prof Wong discussed the Students, Environment Task and Tools (SETT) framework to introduce assistive technologies for students with disabilities in classrooms, the principles behind the SETT framework and the fundamental questions in the framework to guide educators in process.

The next keynote was presented by Ms Sarinajit Kaur, AST Master Teacher (SEN), on “Facilitating learning of students with SEN”. Ms Kaur advocated for educators to create a positive classroom culture that allows learners with SEN to feel a sense of safety and belonging in the classroom to facilitate better engagement.  

Lastly, Ms Ng Siau Hwei, Head of Division & Principal Psychologist, National University Health System, gave the final keynote titled ““Careless”, “lazy”, “unmotivated”: When what you see is not what you get”. Using case examples, Ms Ng highlighted how students prematurely deemed underperforming or uncoporative may be misunderstood, where the gaps in their skill sets are, and how teachers can best support them.

The webinar wrapped up with a panel discussion with all speakers, moderated by Assoc Prof Kenneth Poon, Co-Director, Centre for Research in Child Development and OER Assoc Dean (Education Research), and saw over 350 participants.

Top (left to right): Assoc Prof Wong, Ms Kaur, Ms Ng
Bottom (left to right): Assoc Prof Ho Weng Kin, OER Assoc Dean (Partnerships), Assoc Prof Poon