History · Secondary 3

Active learning ideas

Export-Oriented Industrialisation Strategy

Active learning works well for this topic because students need to grapple with the real-world decisions and risks involved in Singapore’s economic strategy. By engaging with simulations and investigations, they will experience the uncertainty and problem-solving that policymakers faced, making the abstract concept of EOI more tangible and memorable.

• MOE Syllabus Outcomes
• MOE: Challenges of an Independent Nation - S3

• 20–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 50 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The EDB Pitch

Students act as EDB officers in the 1960s. They must create a 'pitch' to a major MNC (like Texas Instruments or Rollei) to convince them to build a factory in Jurong instead of another country.

Analyze why Dr. Goh Keng Swee championed the 'Jurong Folly' as a critical economic strategy.

Facilitation Tip

During the EDB Pitch simulation, assign clear roles to students to ensure everyone participates and understands the perspective of either the EDB or the MNC.

What to look for

Facilitate a class debate using the prompt: 'Was the 'Jurong Folly' a necessary gamble for Singapore's survival?' Encourage students to cite specific evidence from the EOI strategy and its outcomes to support their arguments.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Why Jurong?

Groups are given a map of Singapore in 1960. They must identify the pros and cons of choosing Jurong (a swampy area far from the city) for an industrial estate and explain why it was eventually a success.

Explain how Singapore successfully attracted foreign investors despite its small size and lack of natural resources.

Facilitation Tip

For the Jurong investigation, provide students with a map and primary source excerpts to ground their analysis in specific evidence.

What to look for

Ask students to write two key reasons why foreign investors chose Singapore in the 1960s and 70s, and one challenge the EDB had to overcome to attract them. Collect these to gauge understanding of investor motivations and government efforts.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: From 'Folly' to Success

Students reflect on why people called Jurong 'Goh's Folly.' They share with a partner what this tells us about the importance of long-term vision and risk-taking in government.

Evaluate the crucial role played by the Economic Development Board (EDB) in driving industrialisation.

Facilitation Tip

Use the Think-Pair-Share on 'Folly to Success' to encourage students to articulate their initial misconceptions before refining their understanding through discussion.

What to look for

Present students with a short case study of a hypothetical MNC looking to set up a factory in Asia in the 1960s. Ask them to list three specific incentives or advantages Singapore offered that would appeal to this company, based on the EOI strategy.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by emphasizing the uncertainty and boldness of Singapore’s strategy, comparing it to other countries’ approaches to highlight its uniqueness. They avoid presenting the EOI as an inevitable success, instead framing it as a calculated risk that required significant policy changes and adaptability. Research suggests using primary sources and role-play to help students connect the economic theory to real-world decision-making.

Successful learning looks like students demonstrating an understanding of how Singapore’s small domestic market shaped its economic strategy and how the government actively attracted MNCs to drive growth. They should be able to explain the risks taken, the incentives offered, and the outcomes achieved, using evidence from the activities.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the EDB Pitch simulation, watch for students assuming labor cost was the only reason MNCs came to Singapore.

  Use the ranking activity from the simulation to have students debate and prioritize factors like political stability, infrastructure, and tax incentives, emphasizing that stability was often cited as the top reason in primary sources.

• During the Think-Pair-Share on 'Folly to Success,' watch for students assuming Singapore’s economic success was immediate or guaranteed.

  Direct students to compare the 'before and after' economic data in their Think-Pair-Share to highlight the risks and the scale of the transformation, using the government’s initial struggles as a counterpoint.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share