CHAPTER 4
JUNIOR RESEARCHER PROGRAMME
“ Nothing has such power to broaden the mind as the ability to investigate systematically ” — Marcus Aurelius
The Junior Researcher Programme ( JRP ) does just that by empowering students with the tools to be curious , to discover new knowledge , and to solve problems . The programme aims to educate and equip students with foundational research skills , which will be extended to Signum Fidei for Years 3 and 4 IP students , and Curriculum + for Years 3 and 4 OP students . It is designed to encourage interdisciplinary learning and discovery by infusing research skills as a pedagogical tool in Level 1 and Level 2 learning . The programme also seeks to talent scout and develop IP and OP students who possess the aptitude in research work . They go on to represent the school in competitions and various research programmes at the national level , such as the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Programme ( HSSRP ) by MOE Gifted Education Branch .
This two-year Junior Researcher Programme has two compulsory modules for all students to learn how to : craft a research question , conduct effective information search by using boolean operators , academic databases , etc ., make their own notes , conduct sampling and data collection ( qualitative and quantitative ) through observations , interviews , surveys , and searching for secondary sources , synthesise and evaluate the information gathered , write a literature review and / or design a research poster .
Student sharing about JRP to a parent
There are also special modules for selected students . This year , a group of seven Year 2 students worked on two issues raised by the students in Foundation Programme Academy ( FPA ) during their dialogues with SJI Principal , Mr Pierre . One group worked on the effectiveness of yellow forms and the other group worked on the use of A . I . in learning and doing homework .
During this year ’ s Open House and the Project Festival , students had the opportunity to showcase their research abilities and present research posters on their topics of interest . The research topics ranged from effects of peer pressure , stress due to different social strata , how students with religious beliefs cope with stress , abortion , effectiveness of Blocksi , and more . The results from this research gave students a voice and generated much insights to students ’ concerns for the school management , teachers , student population , and even parents .
Learning how to conduct research is a lifelong skill that creates a platform for understanding and helps students make sense of the world around them .
The students will then transfer these research skills into their respective subjects ’ coursework assessments or projects , which enable them to deepen their understanding and critical thinking .
Students sharing on their research findings on how teenagers view abortion
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