Singapore Preschool Teachers' Responses to the Introduction of A Framework for a Kindergarten Curriculum in the Context of 3 Preschool Settings

This paper is based on a British Academy funded research project on teachers' responses to the introduction of the Singapore preschool curriculum entitled A Framework for a Kindergarten Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2003). 15 teachers from 3 preschools were interviewed and their views analysed to identify issues in the implementation of the new curriculum. The teachers in this study welcomed the curriculum but had reservations about it. For them, the three main issues were limitations in funding and resources, a need for training, and the expectations of parents for a more formal approach to the curriculum. The cultural and economic context in which the preschools are located seem to have some influence on the teachers' ability to implement the Framework and on how the curriculum is delivered to children