Education Analyst

ABOUT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION (NIE)

The National Institute of Education (NIE), Singapore, is Singapore’s national teacher education institute and we are proud to be an integral part of the nation’s education service. We play a key role in the preparation of teachers and in the provision of teacher professional and school leadership development programmes. We are committed to our vision of being An Institute of Distinction: Leading the Future of Education, and our mission to Inspire Learning, Transform Teaching and Advance Research. Read more about NIE here.

NIE invites suitable candidates to join the Research-Practice-Policy Group (RPPG) at the Office of Education Research (OER) as an Education Analyst. The RPPG is committed to bridging the gap between educational research and practice and serves to grow NIE research impact by enabling knowledge translation and brokerage with educational and public stakeholders through strategic dissemination, engagement, partnerships and implementation. ​ Our dissemination efforts include managing NIE academic journals, and lay publications like SingTeach, amongst others. We also foster collaboration among key stakeholders such as policymakers, researchers, and educators. Finally, we look at implementation and impact, which consists of evaluating the fidelity of research application, and documenting and measuring impactful outcomes.

If you are passionate about networking, content creation, and engaging with research, this role is perfect for you. You will have the chance to influence how research is communicated and applied, ensuring it makes a real-world difference rather than gathering dust on shelves. You will also create compelling content that captivates stakeholders and build valuable connections with a diverse range of partners. This is a 3-year contract position, and may be renewed depending on the Institute’s needs and the individual’s performance.

Responsibilities:

Content Creation (Development of Engaging Visuals and Video Editing)

Develop high-quality, engaging content such as:

• Infographics based on published research to simplify complex information and make research accessible and actionable for educators and stakeholders;
• Videos that cover a range of topics, including summaries of published research, introductions to researchers, and administrative content; and
• Manage X (formerly Twitter) account
• Any other design work as required by the department.

Reporting, Synthesising and Knowledge Mobilising

• Implementation and impact, including tracking and assessing ongoing initiatives to support effective research translation, scaling, and application, as well as planning for and measuring research impact.
• Provide info as needed about NIE education research (e.g., identification of studies relevant to an area; running of data analytics using basic statistical tools like SPSS or excel-based tools like pivot tables) to support and report theme- and institution- level insights into NIE research.
• Synthesise relevant information from multiple data sources (e.g. databases, researchers, webinars) using effective search and analytical methods.
• Support the writing of impact case studies of research projects.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of plans for knowledge mobilisation at the institute and beyond.
• Participate in and host ideation sessions and webinars on local educational trends, stakeholder needs, research trends, for information gathering from, and networking purposes with, researchers and non-research stakeholders to increase research dissemination, uptake and impact.
• Proactively liaise with domain experts, administration teams to document and collate information and knowledge about NIE education research (e.g., experiences, case studies, etc.) and with external vendors for the translation and dissemination of research.
• Coordinate with team lead, researchers and faculty members to support the translation of research into NIE programmes.
• Proactively organise, update and back up knowledge assets on shared server.

Ad-hoc duties

• Learn and manage any relevant software/IT tools for information gathering, interpreting and dissemination (e.g., Tableau, Twitter), as required for responsibilities undertaken.
• Manage email communication and follow-ups.
• Assist with any other duties as assigned, e.g., minute-taking, event support and urgent requests.

Requirements:

• A University Degree in Education, Sociology or related field or experience in writing research papers
• Understands the Singapore educational context with a strong interest in advancing education outcomes.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office (in particular, Excel skills up to intermediate level [e.g., VLOOKUP and pivot tables]), project planning tools, statistical analysis tools, or willingness to learn such tools.
• A self-motivated individual and a fast learner with the ability to multi-task and work within deadlines.
• Strong critical thinking abilities, problem-solving and organisational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, networking and communication skills; proactive at collaborating with others to achieve shared results.
• Strong attention to details and factual accuracy.
• Ability to read, understand and synthesise complex research ideas and effectively communicate them to diverse lay audiences through digital, print, and other channels.
• Ability to prioritise and take the initiative in times of ambiguity, and effectively manage complexities.
• Integrity and discretion when handling confidential information.

Candidates with the following will have an advantage:

• At least two years of working experience relevant to the role (e.g., in research settings or in research dissemination)
• Master’s Degree in Education, Sociology or related field.
• An appreciation of knowledge mobilisation theories and how they can be operationalised.
• Experience with social media outreach, graphic design, web development (e.g., updating of HTML website, UX-design) and video making.
• Experience with journalistic writing.
• Experience with teaching and/or training.

Communication Task:

Please note that only applicants who submit the communication task will be considered.

Based on the findings of the research below, please create either

• A short infographic (no larger than A4 size) for teachers who may not be familiar with research terminology. The infographic should be visually compelling and clearly present the key findings, making it easy for educators to understand and apply the insights in their practice.
• An X (formerly Twitter) post/thread for researchers to share the study and its key findings to encourage them to read the actual paper. Please provide this post/thread as an image.

Research: Exploring the impact of formative assessment on student learning outcomes in Mathematics

A recent study explored the impact of formative assessment on student learning outcomes in secondary school mathematics. The research employed a quasi-experimental design with a sample of 200 students across four schools. The study found that integrating frequent formative assessments—such as quizzes, peer feedback, and exit tickets—into the curriculum significantly improved students’ conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills compared to traditional teaching methods without formative assessments.

Key Findings:

• Increased Student Engagement: Students who received regular formative feedback showed higher levels of engagement and motivation in their mathematics classes.
• Enhanced Learning Outcomes: The experimental group demonstrated a 20% increase in their scores on standardised mathematics tests compared to the control group.
• Improved Self-Efficacy: Students reported greater confidence in their ability to tackle complex mathematical problems after receiving timely and actionable feedback.

The study concludes that formative assessment is a critical pedagogical tool that not only enhances academic performance but also supports the development of students’ self-regulation and intrinsic motivation. The researchers recommend that educators incorporate formative assessment strategies into their teaching practices.

Closing Date

The closing date of the advertisement is 20 September 2024. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

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