Film literacy & education in Singapore : learning about movies, learning through movies

Abstract

Films form an important component of media consumption and culture today, particularly among youths in developed nations like Singapore. Yet despite high levels of film and media consumption, there remains a lack of formal instruction within the Singapore education system to equip students with the ability to critically navigate an increasingly visual-saturated world. Kindled by this lack of an educational infrastructure, this paper explores the possibilities of introducing a film literacy programme at the lower secondary level in Singapore schools. With the lack of any research and discourse on film education in Singapore, this study takes on an exploratory and qualitative approach in examining the necessity, benefits and feasibility of a film literacy programme in the local context. The potential of using film to teach values and sociocultural insights in Singapore, as well as the effectiveness of an ahistorical filmic and constructivist pedagogical approach in teaching film literacy will also be examined. In-depth interviews with 15 experts and professionals from the film and education industries were carried out. Trial classes were conducted in three secondary schools, after which focus groups were conducted with the students. The findings demonstrate much support for the need to increase and cultivate film literacy for Singapore youths, and considerable promise for the use of film in values education. The findings are further discussed in relation to the programme’s feasibility in the Singapore education system, along with implications on a proposed film literacy programme and at the institutional level.