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Abstract
A six weeks study was conducted at PLAY @ National Museum of Singapore to investigate
childrens learning of Singapores heritage at the kitchen exhibit by introducing different
methods of facilitation - booklet and stamp chart. 15 children between the age of five and six
years old were recruited on the spot for the research study. Among the 15 children who
participated in the study, five children were involved in the collection of baseline data while
the remaining 10 children were divided equally to be involved in the booklet implementation
and stamp chart implementation respectively. Data were collected using field notes
observations, photo documentations, interview questionnaires and voice recordings.
Quantitative results were derived by collating participants responses in relation to interview
questions supported by voice recordings. Qualitative results were analyzed from field notes
observations accompanied by photo documentations. Findings revealed that participants
involved in booklet and stamp chart implementations acquired better knowledge of
Singapores heritage in comparison to participants from the baseline data collection.
Consistent facilitation and objective driven activities were two key factors that affected
participants gaining of knowledge about Singapores heritage.
3.2 Participants
The sampling method for this research was selective. A total of 15 children aged five
or six years old were selected for the study among the visitors of National Museum of
Singapore. Among the 15 children participated in the study, five children were involved in the
collection of baseline data while the remaining 10 children were divided equally to be
involved in the implementation of booklet and stamp chart activities respectively. All the
children involved in this research study were accompanied by their parents.
3.3 Procedures
All participants were introduced to the exhibit and observed one at a time. After the
booklet and stamp chart implementations, participants were encouraged to visit the play
exhibits again. This was done to ensure that the research process do not shortchange them of
their explorative play.
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3.6 Ethics
To practice ethicality, parental consent forms were used to seek voluntary consent of
participants as they in the age group of five to six years old. Consent forms included pertinent
information of the research such as purpose, procedures and data collection. The participants
had the liberty to withdraw participation from the research at any point of time.
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The chart above shows the results obtained from the first interview question done
during structured interview: Based on your interaction with the materials at the kitchen
exhibit, can you name two local dishes? Participants were awarded one point for each local
dish identified. The number of correct local dish mentioned by the three groups of
participants from baseline data, booklet implementation and stamp chart implementation
were translated to points and collated respectively to plot the bar chart above.
For the baseline data collection, four children could not name any local dishes
whereas one child managed to identify one local dish as reflected on the bar chart. For the
booklet implementation, one child could not name any dishes, another child named one local
dish and the remaining three children identified two local dishes each. These total up to seven
local dishes identified by booklet participants as reflected on the bar chart. For the stamp
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chart implementation, each of the five children could identify two local dishes. These total up
to 10 local dishes identified by stamp chart participants as reflected on the bar chart.
The results showed a significant difference in the scores obtained by the participants
from booklet and stamp chart implementations in comparison to participants from baseline. It
can be deduced that participants from booklet and stamp chart implementation have better
understanding of the local dishes.
The bar chart above shows the results collected from the second interview question:
Can you sort the ingredients for the three local dishes (roti prata, chili crab and nasi lemak)
seen here, on the laptop? Participants answered this question by sorting the ingredients on the
dishes found in the PowerPoint slides (Annex D). One point was awarded with every
ingredient the participants sorted correctly. The number of correct ingredients sorted by the
three groups of participants from baseline data, booklet and stamp chart implementations
were translated to points and were collated on the above bar chart.
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From the baseline data collection, the participants sorted two, three, three, five and
eight ingredients correctly for the three local dishes respectively. The number of ingredients
correctly sorted by the participants were collated to a total score of 21 as reflected on the bar
chart. For the booklet implementation, the participants sorted eight, 10, 10, 10 and 11
ingredients correctly for the three local dishes respectively. The number of ingredients
correctly sorted by the participants were collated to a total score of 49 as reflected on the bar
chart. For the stamp chart implementation, the participants sorted six, eight, eight, 12 and 14
ingredients correctly for the three local dishes respectively. The number of ingredients
correctly sorted by the participants were collated to a total score of 48 as reflected on the bar
chart.
The results showed a significant difference in the scores obtained by the participants
from booklet and stamp chart implementations in comparison to participants from baseline. It
can be deduced that participants from booklet and stamp chart implementation have better
understanding of the ingredients needed for local dishes.
For the implementation of booklet, participants were told about how the instrument
will guide them around the kitchen exhibit and engage them in activities to build on their
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heritage learning. From the field notes and photographs, the participants were observed to
complete the activities in booklet and being engaged as they manipulated with materials at
the various installations (Annex E - Figure 1&2). Although there was an instance when a
participant ran out of the kitchen exhibit to the other exhibit, he was almost immediately
brought back by his brother. Without the placement of the booklet, participants will mostly
likely lose their focus and attention on the tasks that they were engaged in.
While implementing the stamp chart, the participants were directed to the various
installations for free play. At the end of every installation, a question was posed to direct
childrens learning on Singapores heritage. As they were being engaged in the different
installations, they were observed to complete the activities at different stations listed on the
stamp charts and manipulate with the materials without any of the participants leaving the
exhibit (Annex E - Figure 3&4). Based on the field notes recorded, they followed through the
tasks that were required to be completed.
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Research tool such as booklet provided instructions and directed children to activities
that encouraged their exploration on Singapore's heritage (Annex F - Figure 7-9). Information
presented in booklet with words such as local dishes, olden and modern days, enhanced
childrens knowledge of singapores heritage. As for the stamp chart, a brief introduction was
given by researchers to guide participants in their exploration of the kitchen exhibit listed
(Annex F - Figure 10-12). Questions and comments posed by researchers directed childrens
exploration on Singapores heritage. During conversations with participants, words such as
local dishes, olden and modern days, were mentioned for children to draw relation between
play and learning. The identified words enabled participants to associate how interaction with
kitchen exhibit enhanced heritage learning.
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observed when children were playing and cooking with ingredients needed for preparation of
various local dishes.
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occur with sustained engagement. This suggests that sustained engagement derived from
consistent facilitation is necessary for children to acquire in-depth learning of concepts in the
midst of exploration.
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implementations. During baseline data collection, participants parents were seen sitting
around, engaging conversations with other adults or even using their mobile devices.
However, with the presence of research tools, parents were seen interacting with participants.
In the following paragraphs, two possible reasons for this trend will be discussed.
As Singapore is an academic driven society, parents are more than willing to work
with their child in every opportunity presented to them (OECD, 2010). In addition, Childrens
Aid Society (2003) reasoned that parents associate learning with worksheet-based activities
as compared to play-based activities. Thus, participants parents may perceive booklet and
stamp chart as academic tools, which possibly motivated them in their involvement when
helping their children to complete the booklet and stamp chart tasks. Also, as academic tools
provide clear objectives and instructions, parents feel assured to facilitate childrens learning
(Harvey, 2007).
Smith and Dziurgot (2011) established that parents tailor their interactions according
to the contextual needs of children. In relation to the research, some parents were seen
reading the booklet to the participants which suggests that participants possibly found booklet
a challenge to read. Hence, parents would have suited their interactions in a way that can
assist and empower their children, in hope to help them find success in completing the tasks.
Thus, when a challenge is added to an activity, it gives room for parents to scaffold childrens
learning (Lewis, 2005).
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5.2 Limitations
The results gathered from participants cannot be generalized across young children
due to the small sample size. The cognitive development and learning styles of each
participant varies despite all of them being five and six years old. With a small sample size, a
participant who might be more advanced in his/her cognitive development will cause the
results to be significantly positively skewed, while a participant who might be delayed in
his/her cognitive development will cause the results to be negatively skewed.
The inability to read the booklet by most participants served as a limitation for the
research although parents or researcher were around to assist. This research was intended to
set off with independent learning tools - booklet and stamp chart - that encourage verbal
exchanges that enhances participants learning of Singapores heritage. However, with the
limitation of participants finding difficulty in reading, the booklet tool required verbal
guidance to be given. As a result, booklet and stamp chart were similar to a certain extent
and this limited the findings to the research questions.
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5.3 Recommendations
The research study could be improved by recruiting a larger sample size for more
reliable results. With a large sample size, results would not be significantly skewed positively
or negatively. This is because it would reduce the chances children who are more advanced or
delayed in their cognitive development, thus affecting the results.
Other research tools such as museum kit could be used for the research, in view of the
limitation of booklets. Museum kits require minimum reading and support children in
purposeful exploratory play. Future research tools should retain elements of consistent
facilitation, objective-driven activities and quality interactions with adults as identified in the
research discussion. Alternatively, the booklet could be further enhanced with the inclusion of
pictorial cues for young learners to be able to use the booklet independently for their play.
For a fair assessment of the research study, it would be effective if all installations
were taken into account during the research interventions. Through, the field notes, it can be
observed that the neglected installation could have possibly reinforced childrens learning of
identifying the names of local dishes. As such to ensure the validity of this hypothesis, all
installations should have been included in the study.
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provided for children has to be facilitated when specific learning is intended. When an
environment is stimulated with only exploratory play, children are exposed to broad concepts
that overwhelm their learning. (Grsel and Mandl, 1993). With the unawareness of how to
interact with materials provided, children are limited by the possibility of not manipulating
the materials for the intended purpose of learning.
On the other hand, when play is facilitated to an extreme, children are restricted in
making meaning of their learning (Grsel, 2000; Gruber, Mandl and Renkl, 2000; Grsel,
2006). Thus, for learning to take place in any form of setting, the element of facilitation has
to be considered in exploratory play to introduce the learning of concepts to children as they
explore with materials purposefully. This implies that adults have to strive to provide a
balance of exploratory and facilitated play.
In conclusion, the research study highlighted that the resources and installations at the
kitchen exhibit could enhance childrens learning of Singapores heritage with the presence of
facilitation tools such as booklets and stamp charts. It also identified that parental
involvement with children during the use of research tools increased childrens learning of
Singapores heritage significantly. Therefore, museums such as PLAY@NMS have to seek a
balance of exploratory play with facilitation at their interactive exhibits for children, as
consistent facilitation and objective-driven activities enhance their learning of Singapores
heritage.
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Annex
B
Stamp
Chart
Annex
C
Interview Questionnaire
Pseudonym:
Baseline Data Collection / Booklet / Stamp Chart
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1. Based on your interaction with the materials at the kitchen exhibit, can you name two local
dishes?
2. Can you sort the ingredients for the three local dishes (roti prata, chili crab and nasi lemak)
seen here, on the laptop?
3. What are the differences between cooking in a kitchen in the past and cooking in the
kitchen today?
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Participantswererequiredtosorttheingredientstotherespectivelocaldishes.Participants
didsobypointingtothelocaldishtheythinkeachingredientbelongs to.Researchers
draggedtheingredientsaccordinglytotherespectivelocaldishesaccordingtoparticipants
responses.
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Figure1
Figure2
Figure3
Figure4
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Figure5
Figure6
During baseline data collection, participants did not showcase acquired learning directed to
Singapores heritage but demonstrated development of other skills such as fine motor
development and social emotional skills. Figure 5&6 above show children engaging in
pretend play at the stove area in traditional kitchen and are grabbing ingredients with tongs
and stirring ingredients with ladle while interacting with peers.
Booklet Implementation
Figure7
Figure8
Figure9
Figure 7-9 show a participant being guided by the booklet to specific installations
such as the interactive board to match ingredients to the respective silhouettes on the
local dishes.
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Figure12
Figure11
Figure 10-12 show that participants involved in the stamp chart implementation were
guided by researchers to explore the installations purposefully in relation to develop
understandings of Singapores heritage.
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Figure13
Figure13showsaparentteachingaparticipantinvolvedinbaselinedatacollection
howtoscaleafishusingaknifeonthechoppingboard.
BookletImplementation
Figure14
Figure15
Figure 14 & 15 show parents interacting with participants involved in booklet
activities such as to explain the differences between a modern and traditional stove
and scaffold matching of ingredients to the silhouettes on the respective local dishes
respectively.
Figure16
Figure 16 shows a parent interacting with a participant involved in stamp chart
implementation,atthestoveinstallationinthekitchenexhibit.
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