Humanities

Department vision:

To nurture confident and critical thinkers who reflect through the lens of the Humanities 

Teaching and Learning Approaches:

Inquiry-Based Learning Approach:
Inquiry-based learning is at the core of the Humanities department's teaching philosophy. This approach is designed to foster the development of confident and critical thinkers by encouraging students to explore, question, and analyze various topics within the Humanities.

Developing Key Skills:
The department focuses on helping students ask meaningful questions, enabling them to dive deeper into the subject matter and better understand the complexities of different issues. Students are also guided to scaffold their learning, allowing them to build upon foundational knowledge as they form their own conclusions and develop personal reflections about a wide range of Humanities topics.

Multiple Perspectives for a Complex World:
The Humanities Department strives to provide students with a multitude of lenses—such as cultural, historical, and social viewpoints—that can help them better comprehend and make sense of the increasingly complex world they live in. By broadening their perspectives, students are better equipped to navigate real-world issues and challenges from a variety of angles, fostering both critical thinking and global awareness.

Key Programmes:

HUMANITIES ENRICHMENT 

• Humanities Fieldwork

As part of the department’s focus on authentic learning through exploration and inquiry, 

IP3 Geography students explore sites in Singapore and other countries through a comparative fieldwork task. The concepts of sustainability and tourism are brought to life as students go through the inquiry cycle in an authentic context. From collecting and analysing data to designing and reflecting on their conclusions, this process hones our students’ critical and inventive thinking as they learn how to think like a geographer.

• Competitions

Students with a passion for the Humanities are given opportunities to participate in various competitions, such as the Historical Scene Investigation, Student Archivist Project, and Geography Challenge. These competitions, supported by teachers from the department, stretch the students and develop important competencies such as communication and information skills, as well as their critical thinking. 

ASEAN Exposure Programme

As part of the development of our students’ civic, global and cross-cultural literacy, students are given the opportunity to learn more about the region and appreciate Singapore’s role and place in Southeast Asia. Through our ASEAN exposure programme, students are exposed to cultural workshops associated with the art forms of the region in Year 1, and go on an overseas learning journey to Malacca in Year 2 where they are given the chance to engage with on-site learning overseas and engage with their peers from the region.