Speech by Minister Desmond Lee at the 11th Redesigning Pedagogy International Conference

Professor Liu Woon Chia, Director (NIE),
Conference Convenors, Professor Kenneth Poon and Dr Dennis Kwok,
Distinguished guests,

Opening

1. A very good afternoon. I am glad to join you at the 11th Edition of the Redesigning Pedagogy International Conference, and to warmly welcome our overseas delegates to Singapore.

2. Over the years, this conference has become a vibrant platform for researchers, educators, and policymakers from different systems to exchange ideas, share research and build partnerships.

3. This year's theme, "Education Research for Impact", reminds us that good quality research is needed to strengthen teaching, support learning, and guide and drive policy.

Research to Inform Education in an AI-Transformed World

4. We are operating in an increasingly unpredictable environment, shaped by geopolitical shifts, climate challenges, and rapid technological change amongst others. Good education research matters more than ever.

5. Take Artificial Intelligence. It is advancing rapidly and students all over the world are already using it in school and at home.

1. Yet, views on the role of AI in education remain sharply divided.
2. Some worry about the spread of misinformation, unequal access, and the erosion of deep thinking and mastery.
3. Others see great potential to enable more personalised learning, quicker feedback, and greater access to knowledge.

6. In Singapore, our approach to AI puts pedagogy first and our students at the centre so that teaching drives technology, and not the other way round. We organise this around four 'Learns' – a framework first developed right here at NIE, by Prof Tan Seng Chee, which we had adapted for MOE's use. They are as follows:

1. First, learn about AI – understanding what AI is, how it works, and its limitations.
2. Second, learn to use AI – harnessing it effectively and responsibly.
3. Third, learn with AI – using it to enhance learning, not replacing it. For example, deploying AI feedback assistants to help our students work through solutions critically rather than to spoon-feed answers.
4. And most importantly, learn beyond AI – developing values, judgment and important human capabilities such as communication, critical thinking, and empathy.

7. To implement this well, we need strong research to understand how AI affects our children's learning and development, and how to deploy it appropriately.

8. There are many areas that merit deeper research. Let me just highlight three:

1. First, strengthening foundations in an AI-enriched world. We need to deepen our understanding of how students can build strong core competencies to flourish, even when AI tools can easily replace cognitive effort.
2. Second, using AI well for teaching and learning. We need more evidence on what kinds of AI tools work – for whom, under what conditions, and with what safeguards and guardrails.
3. And third, preparing our students for an AI-shaped world. We must better understand the skills students will need to thrive and contribute meaningfully to an AI-infused world.

9. Some of these questions might require multi-year, longitudinal studies. But we will also need to move quickly to respond in a fast moving environment.

10. That is why we have introduced the Rapid Research Fund in Singapore to support tightly-scoped studies, typically lasting six to nine-months, focusing on areas such as educational technology. One example would be studies to help us understand how scaffolding techniques by AI tutors affect our students' learning.

Bridging Research, Practice and Policy

11. We must also ensure that research goes beyond publications and conference presentations. To make a difference to students and teachers, research must shape policy and inform classroom practice.

12. In Singapore, we have benefited greatly from close partnerships between policymakers at the Ministry of Education, researchers at NIE, and educators in our schools.

1. For example, research on learner diversity, such as the Tran-SEN study¹, has helped our teachers better understand students with Special Educational Needs to provide more effective support.
2. And initiatives like AI@NIE are helping to build both the research base for AI in education, as well as our teachers' capacity to use AI responsibly and effectively.

13. Of course, educational change is seldom straightforward. What works well in one context or society may not work in another. The impact of research therefore depends heavily on strong collaboration between:

1. Researchers, who bring rigour and careful inquiry;
2. Educators, who bring practical wisdom and ground insights; and
3. Policymakers, who balance system-level priorities and trade-offs.

Closing

14. Over the next few days, I hope you will enjoy quality time meeting and learning from other researchers, educators, and policymakers. And beyond meeting in conference rooms and workshops, I hope that our Singapore hosts can bring our foreign guests to see our island city-state, as these white-space activities build those enduring bonds to enable you to work across time zones and distances.

15. Education research may not always produce immediate results. Often, its impact is seen only over time and with great persistence. But it is meaningful work that shapes and improves generations of learners.

16. On this note, I wish you all a meaningful conference ahead. Let's look forward to your insights and research making an impact in our classrooms. Thank you.

Footnotes

1. Transition and Adjustment of Children with Special Educational Needs Study.