CHEMISTRY TUITION METHODOLOGY
The revised 9729 chemistry syllabus is designed to place less emphasis on factual material and greater emphasis on the understanding and application of scientific concepts and principles.This approach has been adopted in recognition of the need for students to develop skills that will be of long term value in an increasingly technological world rather than focusing on large quantities of factual material which may have only short term relevance.
This curriculum framework provides students the opportunity to appreciate the connections between the concepts in the Core Ideas of Matter, Structure and Properties, and Transformation,
and to apply these to the study of different chemical systems in the Extension Topics.
(Taken from https://www.seab.gov.sg/docs/default-source/national-examinations/syllabus/alevel/2020syllabus/9729_y20_sy.pdf)
In a nutshell, the learning of Chemistry at A Level is based on a holistic approach and no longer via the traditional approach of classifying topics into Physical, Inorganic and Organic Chemistry. With this change in syllabus, it is important that students are well equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills in handling higher order questions in examinations. With this in mind, Mr Jacky Wong has taken the time and effort in compiling topical questions of varying difficulty levels from schools’ preliminary examinations and past year ‘O’/’A’ and IB examination papers in the aim of exposing students to the myriad of possibilties of questions within the same topic. With more than 15 years of teaching experience and having seen through many batches of students from the old syllabus (with practical examinations and option topics) to revised syllabus with Science Practical Assessment (SPA) to the current H2 Chemistry (9729) syllabus, Mr Jacky Wong has more than what it takes to fully understand what it requires to ACE Chemistry at ‘A’ levels
International Baccalaurette Diploma Programme (IBDP)
qaThe International Baccalaurette Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a rigorous, academically challenging and balanced programme of education designed to prepare tudents aged 16 to 19 for success at university and life beyond. The DP aims to encourage students to be knowledgeable, inquiring, caring and compassionate, and to develop intercultural understanding, open-mindedness and the attitudes necessary to respect and evaluate a range of viewpoints.
The study of Chemistry at the Higher Level (HL) requires 240 hours including 95 hours of Core topics, 60 hours of Additional Higher Level (AHL) topics, 25 hours of Option topic and 60 hours of Practical scheme of work including 10 hours of Individual Investigation (internally assessed). Such a demanding course in HL Chemistry requires students to be focused and self-disciplined. Mr Jacky Wong was the IB Chemistry coordinator in one of the top IB schools in Singapore. Having attended numerous workshops including the Category 2 IB Chemistry workshop overseas, not only is he well versed with the curriculum and examination requirements, he has also guided and mentored many students to do well in their Internal Assessments (IA) and Extended Essays (EE). He is very familiar with the assessment and marking criteria of both the IA and Chemistry EE. In addition, he provides all the necessary resources and support to his students in order to secure that Grade 7 in HL Chemistry! Many of his students are now studying in prestigous local and overseas universities in courses such as Law and Medicine.
As the IBO Subject Guide (2016) states:
“Chemistry is an experimental science that combines academic study with the acquisition of practical and investigational skills.
It is often called the central science, as chemical principles underpin both the physical environment in which we live and all biological systems. Apart from being a subject worthy of study in its
own right, chemistry is a prerequisite for many other courses in higher education, such as medicine, biological science and environmental science.”
A Passion for Learning Begins with a Spark, Peyton Williams Jr, President for Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) 2002.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY & STYLE
Learning is a factual and emotional experience. At many a times, we are overly focused on achieving the learning outcome but not the learning journey. Mr Jacky Wong strongly believes in teaching for resonance and that all students are keen learner but at times need that someone to open the closed door within their minds, i.e. ignite the spark. Lectures and tutorial system are just but one of the tools used in teaching methods. Mr Jacky Wong fully understands that each student is unique and this method of teaching would only appeal best to students who are auditory learners. Being a firm believer of differentiated instruction to bring the best out of each student, he employs a variety of teaching techniques in his lessons to engage students of different learning styles. Live demonstrations, molecular modelling and teaching of practical techniques are just some of the activities used to engage students in class. In addition, Mr Jacky Wong makes full use of technology such as online simulations to supplement and complement his teaching in class.
Students learn well only if they find meaning in what they are doing. Establishing a positive teacher-student relationship forms a critical aspect of student engagement. Having taught in MOE schools for many years, Mr Jacky Wong clearly understands that each student is unique and may require a different approach to learning. To achieve this, a participative and supportive learning environment is provided where students are encouraged to ask questions any time during or after lessons so as to clear any doubts or misconceptions so that time is well spent for each lesson. In addition, a mini library containing a collection of reference and guide books is available for students’ browsing. Together with Mr Jacky Wong’s vast experience and passion in science research and development, Chemistry comes alive at each lesson as he relates concepts learnt to real-life applications
CURATED TEACHING MATERIALS
In a typical school or college, notes for the various topics are usually prepared by a few teachers. In this way, students may not see the connections across topics. At MY CHEM CAFE®, concise notes capturing the essence of each topic are all prepared by Mr Jacky Wong. Besides quality notes, students are given practice questions of varying levels of difficulty to scaffold their learning and build up mastery and confidence in each topic. A series of revision questions would be given and reviewed prior to major examinations so as to prepare students well for their promotional, preliminary and national examinations. The revision questions are carefully curated according to topics covered for each examination and most importantly to expose students to a myriad of possibilities of questions even within the same topic. MY CHEM CAFE® believes that the level of preparation we put in place for our students would put them in good stead to handle the increasing demands of the ‘O’/’A’ and IB Examinations and Excel in learning.
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