Literature in English: How Students & Teachers in Singapore Secondary Schools Deal with the Subject

Recent research on literature education in Singapore has highlighted the state of ambivalence of the literature curriculum and suggested possibilities for its reconceptualisation, taking into consideration the contemporary Singaporean environment and the impact of globalisation; and considering the offering of alternative curricula. This book explores the state of literature as a subject in Singapore secondary schools in relation to this recent research by considering its role in the current political, economic, social and educational climate. It presents the findings and analysis of students’ and teachers’ perspectives on literary studies in Singapore secondary schools in order to generate theory on how students and teachers deal with literature in English studies. In-depth interpretivist case studies were conducted at five sites, purposively selected to incorporate the range of school types in Singapore. Emergent themes included: the insignificant impact of local literature on the study of literature, the low status of subject and the lack of desirability of literature as a course of study. The findings drawn from original empirical data from students and teachers have implications for theory, policy and practice. The work further delineates a need for further research into continued development of the literature curriculum in the Singapore education system, such as exploring the role of local literature, as articulated in the vision of Singapore as a world-class city.