Dr Jennifer Tan

Dr. Tan graduated with a PHD in Applied Linguistics from the National University of Singapore where  she was awarded a full graduate research scholarship from the university.Her doctorate study was on the literacy practices of children living in residential care and her research approach was Ethnography. As such, she leans towards the qualitative approach for  research, with a preference for ethnography and case studies. Some of her research interests include teacher professional development, reflective practices in teaching and learning and out of school literacy practices of children in marginalised communities. As she received her undergraduate degree in TESL and her Masters in English Language Studies, she does have vested research interests in those areas as well.  Organizations she has collaborated with on research projects include the Brunei Research Council, the Asia Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) and UNICEF (ROSA). 

Prior to her doctorate studies at the Department of English Language and Literature at NUS, she was awarded the Excellent Teaching Award from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 1999.  With more than 25 years teaching experience, her teaching career has brought her to neighbouring countries; in Singapore, she was  part of the pioneering team that helped set up the NUS High School of Math and Science. As a Language Specialist with SEAMEO-RELC Singapore, she conducted classes and workshops for teachers from the ASEAN countries, Japan, China, Afghanistan and Nepal. At Universiti Brunei Darussalam, she taught at the Graduate School of Education. Currently, she is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Education, Help University, Malaysia.