We conduct research to understand and improve teaching and learning in Singapore's classrooms.
Initiated in 2004, CORE is one of the world's longest-running systematic examinations of classroom practice — investigating the interaction between teacher, student, and content across hundreds of schools and thousands of lessons.
Four Iterations, one long story
CORE has progressed through four iterations, evolving from initial baseline studies of classroom practice to its current focus on learner perspectives and teaching improvement. Scroll through to see how the programme's focus shifted at each stage.
Three questions guide everything we do
What are teachers doing?
Documenting the instructional methods and assessment approaches used across classrooms.
Why are they doing it?
Understanding the reasoning and pedagogical choices behind those instructional approaches.
How are students learning?
Studying the learning process itself — engagement, understanding, and outcomes.
Findings for three audiences
CORE generates research findings for the Ministry of Education, for teachers and schools, and for the broader research community — so evidence from the classroom can inform evidence-based improvements to pedagogical practice at every level.
Handled with care
All CORE research follows formal ethics approval (NTU IRB-2025-210). Data is securely stored and de-identified to protect the privacy of every participating school, teacher, and student.
A partnership built on research, practice, and policy
CORE operates within the Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice (CRPP), under the Office of Education Research (OER) at the National Institute of Education (NIE), part of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) — through a tight research–practice–policy partnership between NIE and the Ministry of Education (MOE).
CORE is a programme of CRPP · Office of Education Research (OER) · National Institute of Education (NIE) · Nanyang Technological University (NTU) — in partnership with the Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore.