Assoc Prof Goh teaches at the Department of Mathematics and has won several teaching awards at both faculty and university level. A dedicated teacher who has successfully made mathematics accessible and enjoyable to students from different faculties and backgrounds, he was also placed on the 2007 Honour Roll. CDTLink has a chat with him to find out more.

Congratulations on receiving this year’s award! How did you feel when you received the news?

I felt very happy and grateful at the same time. It is a great honour to be selected; after all, there are many outstanding and dedicated teachers in the University. To my teachers, students, colleagues and all who have encouraged and supported my teaching, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

What drives you in terms of teaching?

I have wanted to be a teacher since my younger days. I believe in education’s ability to empower and that everyone deserves a good education, which is an important driver for Singapore’s success. It plays a significant role in the development of an individual and the progress of our society. I find it gratifying that I am able to contribute, in whatever way I can, towards shaping Singapore’s education landscape. I had the privilege of being taught by many excellent and dedicated teachers in junior college, university and graduate school, and I aspire to be like them. I hope to inspire my students just like how I was inspired by my teachers.

You mentioned that as an educator, you play different roles for your students at different stages of their learning journey. Could you relate some challenges you have encountered while doing this?

For first-year students, my main task is to help them build up fundamental knowledge so that they are equipped with the background capabilities for subsequent modules. These classes are usually large with students of different aptitudes and learning mindsets. Many students also need to get used to the significant jump in standard when they progress from pre-university to university education. There are issues like how to accommodate weaker students while motivating the more advanced ones, or how to challenge all students effectively.

For my research students, I become their mentor in inventing new knowledge. Unlike coursework, research contains a great amount of uncertainty and there is no guarantee that one will obtain the desired results after embarking on a problem. Challenges in this area include finding ways to encourage, guide and motivate research students to ensure their potential is effectively realised.

How do you maintain your enthusiasm for teaching as you manage such challenges?

I view every challenge as an opportunity; an opportunity to inculcate skills in my students and to make a difference for them. I consider myself part of the education ecosystem in which all educators play meaningful roles. Every student deserves a chance to grow and progress.

The student population in NUS has changed and diversified over the years. How have you adapted your teaching style in the face of these changes?

The “one size fits all” formula seldom works. With the diversity of student population in NUS, I employ different approaches in teaching my modules so as to reach out to students with different backgrounds and abilities. These strategies include taking students on a progressive learning path and providing opportunities for them to achieve multiple levels of understanding in lectures and tutorials. To generate and sustain students’ interest in my modules, I have drawn examples from daily life, incorporated IT tools and Internet resources into my lessons, and illustrated the relevance of materials taught with ideas from my research programme.

What makes a good teaching day for you?

I always try to make sure that every lecture or tutorial is a quality learning experience for my students. To me, a good lesson should capture their attention from beginning to the end, explain the materials covered clearly and stimulate their interest in the topic. From students’ reactions and facial expressions, I can tell whether I have achieved my teaching goals for the day. In the event that I do not succeed, I would identify what the problem is so as to do better next time.

As an educator, what do you want your students to learn from you, aside from mastering content?

I would like to equip my students with the ability for further and independent learning, as well as to bring out their full potential. In addition, I hope to cultivate their interest in learning and teaching. I am particularly happy whenever some of my students indicate interest in a teaching career and subsequently join the education service.

What advice would you give a graduate student/new academic when it comes to teaching?

Teaching is an area that requires much dedication and commitment to do well. I describe them as the three C’s of teaching. The first C is the commitment for us as educators to perform each and every one of our teaching tasks to the best of our abilities. The second C is about the commitment to venture into novel teaching methods as well as to initiate and drive new educational programmes. The third C, which requires even more from us, is the commitment to sustain and continue our efforts in education and teaching over an extended period of time.

While teaching can be demanding, it is particularly rewarding because we are given the special opportunity of educating and inspiring the next generation.