TY  - JOUR
AU  - Liu, Yinping
AU  - Chen, Cheng
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/03
TI  - Curriculum Philosophy, Textbook Content, and Assessment Mechanisms of Primary and Secondary Science Education in Singapore
JO  - Journal of Social Systems and Policy Analysis
T2  - Journal of Social Systems and Policy Analysis
JF  - Journal of Social Systems and Policy Analysis
VL  - 3
IS  - 3
SP  - 121
EP  - 131
DO  - 10.62762/JSSPA.2026.685895
UR  - https://www.icck.org/article/abs/JSSPA.2026.685895
KW  - Singapore
KW  - science education
KW  - curriculum philosophy
KW  - textbook content
KW  - assessment mechanism
AB  - Singapore’s primary and secondary science education is widely recognized for its high performance through systemic reform. The synergistic innovation of its curriculum philosophy, textbook content, and assessment mechanisms warrants in-depth investigation. In terms of curriculum philosophy, Singapore has accomplished a value shift from being “driven by national needs” to “serving life and society,” embodying holistic education as scientific practice through the “3‘IN’” framework. The construction of textbook resources has transcended the boundaries of traditional print media, establishing a four-in-one ecosystem comprising “textbooks, activity books, digital platforms, and inquiry kits,” and relies on a spiral curriculum to facilitate the cognitive progression of cross-cutting concepts. The assessment mechanisms have undergone a paradigm shift from norm-referenced to standards-referenced testing. Through an achievement level grading system, Full Subject-Based Banding, and process-oriented feedback empowered by artificial intelligence, excessive competition is mitigated while individual growth is fostered. Singapore’s practice demonstrates that deep reform of primary and secondary science education depends on promoting a shift in curriculum philosophy from knowledge-based to competency-based approaches, constructing a multi-dimensional textbook system to bridge the gap between in-school and out-of-school learning, and reshaping the educative function of assessment so that it genuinely becomes a dialogic tool for fostering students’ scientific inquiry and value cultivation.
SN  - 3068-5540
PB  - Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge
LA  - English
ER  - 

@article{Liu2026Curriculum,
  author = {Yinping Liu and Cheng Chen},
  title = {Curriculum Philosophy, Textbook Content, and Assessment Mechanisms of Primary and Secondary Science Education in Singapore},
  journal = {Journal of Social Systems and Policy Analysis},
  year = {2026},
  volume = {3},
  number = {3},
  pages = {121-131},
  doi = {10.62762/JSSPA.2026.685895},
  url = {https://www.icck.org/article/abs/JSSPA.2026.685895},
  abstract = {Singapore’s primary and secondary science education is widely recognized for its high performance through systemic reform. The synergistic innovation of its curriculum philosophy, textbook content, and assessment mechanisms warrants in-depth investigation. In terms of curriculum philosophy, Singapore has accomplished a value shift from being “driven by national needs” to “serving life and society,” embodying holistic education as scientific practice through the “3‘IN’” framework. The construction of textbook resources has transcended the boundaries of traditional print media, establishing a four-in-one ecosystem comprising “textbooks, activity books, digital platforms, and inquiry kits,” and relies on a spiral curriculum to facilitate the cognitive progression of cross-cutting concepts. The assessment mechanisms have undergone a paradigm shift from norm-referenced to standards-referenced testing. Through an achievement level grading system, Full Subject-Based Banding, and process-oriented feedback empowered by artificial intelligence, excessive competition is mitigated while individual growth is fostered. Singapore’s practice demonstrates that deep reform of primary and secondary science education depends on promoting a shift in curriculum philosophy from knowledge-based to competency-based approaches, constructing a multi-dimensional textbook system to bridge the gap between in-school and out-of-school learning, and reshaping the educative function of assessment so that it genuinely becomes a dialogic tool for fostering students’ scientific inquiry and value cultivation.},
  keywords = {Singapore, science education, curriculum philosophy, textbook content, assessment mechanism},
  issn = {3068-5540},
  publisher = {Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge}
}