Research Plans

New research plans are brewing...

CORE Team Lunch

Lunch with the research team. A bunch of passionate researchers. My fortune to be able to work with yet another great bunch of colleagues and friends! 

CORE research team (not everyone here as some are on leave)

First Team Visit

To provide support (moral and physical) to my research assistants, I went with them for this school visit. A milestone for our research team. :) We had a debriefing at a nearby cafe, Penny University, followed by nice lunch celebration. 

2nd Round Day 2

It is Day 2 of our 2nd round of data collection. It is really great to hear teachers share their experiences and thoughts so openly with us. Really appreciate it, Teachers. :) 

2nd Round Day 1

It's our 2nd round of data collection for our research - focus group discussion with teachers. 

3-Day Retreat

Today is the 2nd day of a 3-day retreat. It has been quite gruelling mentally. But sugar never fails to pick me up. :)

First Month

One month ago, it is a new beginning for me. 
I have been appointed as Research Scientist from 1 June 2016. It is a promotion in a way and it comes with heavier responsibilities and additional duties. 

Instrument Revision

I have been working hard with my colleague and friend on the revision of the instruments to be used for my self-assessment research. When it is your own research, there is an even greater sense of achievement. :)

Research Retreat

My workplace had a research retreat, 8:30am - 5:30pm today. Although it was a full day, it was not tiring at all. I found the retreat really productive and fruitful as it cleared doubts and answered questions as well as allowing colleagues to work together. :)

The Last One

Today, my collleague, Khin is graduating. He is the last one of the group of us who were PhD students from Core 1 research. Congratulations, Dr Khin Maung Aye!

Photo with Dr Khin and his lovely wife :)

The newly minted Dr Khin!

"Teacher, teacher"

I was in school to meet with the key personnel to brief about our research project. While waiting (I was early) at the General Office, I was approached no less than three times by the students calling me "Teacher, teacher" and asking me for help. I had to redirect them to the GO staff. 
Guess I still look very much like a teacher to students lol.

Sent!

The revision to my in principle approved research proposal has been completed. Attended to all the 4 reviewers' comments as well as the research committee's comments. Attended to minor budget revision. 
It has just been submitted a few minutes ago, a few hours ahead of the 11am, 24 April deadline. :) 

Closed Door Discussion

I was invited to participate in a focus group discussion: closed door discussion. It was my first experience with a closed door discussion. I really enjoyed it very much. It was extremely refreshing to speak one's mind frankly on a topic which is close to my heart. :)

All Set!

Today I conducted a training/ briefing for the 8 part-time research assistants that our project hired for our intensive data collection. It is a pretty big group. :) This is a nice bunch of ladies and everyone was focused and attentive. We are all set for our data collection which will commences this Thursday and Friday! :)

Finding My Feet

I am still finding my feet but with "roadblocks", it can get frustrating and tiring. There are restrictions being placed on me just because of my job title. "Only a research fellow" they would tell me. They failed to consider that I have had 9 years of research experience in education, even more than some of the other researchers who are hired and who are not even trained in the field of education. Sigh.     

Juggling

I had to cancel my counselling today because of two important meetings that I had to attend at my other work place until 2pm. However, after my meetings, I went back to my counselling school at 3pm because there was a case conference with NUH, the school and the parents which I was also involved in. It was difficult trying to coordinate the time for a case conference with three parties so it would be unprofessional of me to skip it, just because I have to travel from one place to another, especially after the effort taken to arrange the case conference.

7 Years

I have been working at my work place for exactly 7 years today! Wow, time really flies. I hardly noticed it lol. Know what? I can definitely stay on in this job for a couple more years because I am extremely happy doing research. :)

Team Players

I am really grateful and glad that I work with a great bunch of RAs. They are independent workers but they are also team players, and we help each other in our work. We will be starting the main study soon and I think we will have fun. I look forward to having a BIG meal out again after the study lol. :)

Reading

I have been busy reading today. Not my leisure books but articles for my PhD writing. Hahaha. Yes, I am finally reading this whole stack of 2006 and 2007 articles for my PhD dissertation.

I am currently in the midst of revising my 1st 3 chapters: Introduction, Literature Review and Methodology, and of special importance, are the first 2 chapters. I have to update the articles used in them since they were only up to end 2005. I will have to add in the more recent articles from 2006 and 2007 that are related to my PhD. Hmm... I may have to find more articles. lol. Being ambitious, I am also trying to write my Chapter 5: Conclusions and Implications. Wish me luck. Hahaha.

It is not easy writing but I am beginning to find my momentum. All thanks to encouragement from good friends and fellow PhD students. Yes, we must finish our PhDs by this year, no matter what!

***
I became friends with a Mexican professor, Dr Eduardo Andere, who came to my research centre in 2006. Although he was supposed to have a buddy, she wasn't doing anything to help him. Somehow, I became his "unofficial" buddy but I was glad to be of assistance. I helped him out with whatever information he needed for his research about our educational system. I also played hostess and showed him what a typical Singapore family is like (except that my family ain't exactly typical, lol). We have been keeping in contact after he left Singapore via msn and emails.

Just yesterday, he told me that he is acknowledging me in his new book. *Blush* I am being acknowledged in a book. I must say I feel honoured indeed. I hadn't realised that I had done this much to help him. It was within my knowledge and power and I am more than happy to help out a friend, always. Thank you, Eduardo.