Job Description

The National Institute of Education invites suitable applications for the position of Research Assistant on a 9-month contract at the .

Project Title:

The Effects of An Information Communication and Technologies-Based Intervention Programme on Students\xe2\x80\x99 Learning Outcomes of Physical Education (PE) in Singapore Schools [OER 21/21 KKT]

Project Introduction:

Recently, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a profound impact on teaching (UNESCO,2020) and particularly, physical education (PE). As a result of the pandemic, educators had to swiftly adapt and shift to remote teaching (Barry & Kanematsu, 2020). In PE, one significant concern is the global decline in health and overall physical activity (PA) when countries implement lockdowns (Dunton, Do, & Wang, 2020).The lack of PA due to the closure of schools and sporting facilities has had a significant effect on the overall well-being (physical, mental, emotional and social) of the individual. While in PE, teachers experienced difficulty in effectively conducting their lessons online (Varea & Gonzalez-Calvo, 2020). In response, some scholars argued that teacher training must be redesigned in order to ensure the wellbeing of PE teachers (O\'Brien et al., 2020). In recent years, educators have been challenged to keep pace with the growing demands related to technological innovations in schools (Gawrisch, Richards, & Killian, 2019). Integration of technology as a pedagogical tool to enhance students\' learning is an important skill for physical education (PE) teachers (Gawrisch eI al., 2019). Indeed, the use of information and communication technologies (ICT - refers to technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications [Christensson, 20101) in college and K-12 classrooms has facilitated a greater prevalence of student-directed learning and pedagogical approaches (Krause et al., 2019; Willis, Lynch, Fradale, & Yeigh, 2019). However, there is still a relative dearth of evidence on how ICT tools can be better integrated with pedagogy in meeting the desired outcomes of PE. The purpose of this project is to investigate the effects of an ICT-based intervention programme on teacher\'s lesson design and implementation competency and students\' learning outcomes of PE in Singapore schools. The proposed project comprises three independent and yet connected studies to achieve the overall research objectives. The first study aims to identify the key components necessary to evaluate both desired learning outcomes in PE and dimension of meaningful learning in ICT lessons in PE. The validated tools and findings from Study 1 will be used to inform best practices of Study 2 and the intervention programme in Study 3. Study will explore how PE teachers design and implement meaningful ICT-based lesson to achieve the learning outcomes in PE. In Study 3, the goal is to understand the effectiveness of the ICT-based teaching strategies employed by PE teachers (e.g. planning and delivery), students\' engagement and motivation, as well as understanding the challenges that both teachers and students faced under this type of teaching and learning environment. Findings from the proposed project will provide crucial evidence for Ministry of Education to share with schools on how to implementation effective ICT-based PE lessons, including home-based learning. Results of the present study could also guide curriculum design and the professional development of PE teachers. In addition, the findings will add to the current body of knowledge in ICT-related PE pedagogies and provide empirical evidence and recommendations for further studies.

Requirements

Essential

• At least a Bachelor\xe2\x80\x99s degree in physical education, sports or related areas
• Ability to conduct and write-up literature reviews and research reports

• Prior exposure to both quantitative and qualitative research methodology
• Meticulous with good organizational skills, especially in managing reference libraries and research data
• Ability to support and write-up sections in academic writing and technical reports
• Strong written and communication skills in English
• Strong collaborative skills and a team player
• Ability to work independently with minimum supervision

Preferred

• Personal motivation to learn more about research methodologies
• Interest in advancing knowledge about PE and sport pedagogy or coaching research

Responsibilities/Job Scope

• Support the Principal Investigator in research efforts
• Conduct literature searches and write reports
• Develop and maintain a centralized reference library using EndNote
• Manage book publications and journals
• Assist in data collection, analysis and reporting of results.
• Data management and minor transcription
• Data entry, data cleanup and edit write-ups
• Manage research data and keep up-to-date research records and minutes of meetings
• Assist with IRB applications, production of teaching videos, prepare teaching materials and resources, co-write and prepare manuscripts for publication
• Assist the Principal Investigator with other research administration and secretarial duties as assigned

Application

Applicants (external and internal) will apply via Workday. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Closing Date

Closing date for advertisements will be set to 14 calendar days from date of posting.

Other Information

NIE staff can take chartered buses at their own expense from or near their homes to the NIE campus. This is subject to availability of seats.

Hiring Institution: NIE

Nanyang Technological University