Heng Tang Tang
Heng Tang Tang is an Associate Professor at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Having studied and worked in Singapore, New York, London, and China, she is fascinated by what happens when people or ideas move across borders. Her research is situated at the intersection of pedagogy, culture, and diversity: she documents how students' and teachers' interactions with pedagogy are cultured and recultured amidst permeable borders. Consequently, she unveils how differences are perceived, talked about, and responded to.
More specifically, ​Tang’s research around educational change and borrowing examines how Singapore teachers interpret and implement learner-centred approaches borrowed from abroad, like differentiated instruction, as well as how contexts shape the opportunities and constraints teachers face. Concurrently, she studies how teachers engage in teaching practices addressing learner diversity and equity in Singapore schools. Her research findings are integrated in the Masters-, executive-, and professional-level courses she teaches, like Differentiating Curriculum and Teaching for Diverse Learners and Leading Differentiated Instruction in Schools. Tang was awarded the NIE Excellence in Teaching Commendation Award in 2019 and 2020, and NAFSA Innovative Research in International Education Award in 2021.
Keynote Address (Live Virtual)
Beyond Challenges, Embracing Opportunities: Localising Differentiated Instruction for the Singapore Context
Differentiated Instruction (DI) has seen increasing popularity in Singapore over the past decade. Given its origin from the United States, teachers are intrigued by how to implement DI within the Singapore context. Drawing on data from different research projects set within Singapore schools, this session discusses common challenges teachers face in implementing DI and highlights opportunities in how teachers implement DI in schools that reflect the unique realities on the ground. Above and beyond, this session calls on teachers to localise DI to the Singapore context by imagining new ways to interpret DI that is culturally-sensitive and locally-appropriate.