ABSTRACT
New educational visions are often introduced to meet the demands of education. Within the context of evolving educational landscapes, teachers are then required to interpret new curricular initiatives and adapt their teaching accordingly. Indeed, it is now commonplace knowledge that reform efforts need to take into consideration teacher beliefs and concerns (Coenders, Terlouw, & Dijkstra, 2008; Davis, 2003; Haney, Lumpe, Czernick, & Egan, 2002), such as the demand for time. School leaders are also prompted to purposefully create opportunities for teacher reflection, dialogues, learning and professional development (PD) (Barab & Luehmann, 2003; Davis, 2003; Peers, Diezmann, & Watters, 2003). The emphasis on teachers signals their importance as agents of curriculum reforms. In Singapore, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has likewise placed emphasis on preparing high-quality teachers, with the belief that the success of achieving the nation’s educational goals is contingent on the quality of teachers (Goh & Lee, 2008). Hence, teachers are encouraged to be dedicated to their own PD.
