Author Information
Jiehui Lin, Damai Secondary School, SingaporeMelvin Chan, Chua Chu Kang Secondary School, Singapore
Gaoxia Zhu, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Abstract
The Singapore Social Studies curriculum often presents abstract and complex concepts, making it challenging to arouse and maintain students’ interest, let alone exercise their sense of agency in learning. To address the challenges, this study integrates the Knowledge Building (KB) approach and the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) model, along with diverse technology-supported learning experiences at rotating stations. Findings indicate that this integrative approach enhanced students’ interest in the subject, becoming active participants as they explored complex concepts through the various stations. Furthermore, the CPA model enhanced students' understanding by guiding them from concrete to a deeper comprehension of abstract concepts using concrete and visual representations. This comprehension, in turn, cultivated greater student agency, as students actively contributed their learning reflections and ideas, leading to a collaborative contribution of diverse ideas. Further consideration could build-on from this approach in helping students deepen their knowledge of the abstract concepts based on their initial contributions.
Paper Information
Conference: ACE2025Stream: Teaching Experiences
This paper is part of the ACE2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Lin J., Chan M., & Zhu G. (2026) Cultivating Students’ Interest and Agency in Learning Social Studies: Knowledge Building and Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract Model ISSN: 2186-5892 – The Asian Conference on Education 2025: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 1753-1759) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-5892.2026.134
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-5892.2026.134
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