The Singapore Mathematics Curriculum Development—A Mixed Model Approach

Abstract

Singapore has a history of having a national mathematics curriculum, which is produced and disseminated by the Ministry of Education, exemplifying a deductive approach towards mathematical curriculum development (Olivia, Developing the curriculum, 2009). This Chapter presents, through three case studies of school-based curriculum innovations, how the development of mathematics curriculum in Singapore has evolved from a deductive to containing elements of both the deductive and inductive approaches-a mixed model approach. Through the eyes of the three case-studies, advantages to such a mixed model approach towards mathematics curriculum development will be presented. Key contributing factors for the success of such a mixed model approach will be elicited through an analysis of these case studies as well.