DREAMS:
DRivers, Enablers, and pathways of Adolescent developMent in Singapore

The Singapore Longitudinal Cohort Study

A comprehensive longitudinal study of the educational experiences, pathways and development of over 7000 adolescents in Singapore

Tip Sheets Live Now!

For Parents:

For Schools:

Latest Updates

Straits Times: ‘Some flourish while others struggle’: NIE study finds five different paths of lower-income students

SINGAPORE – A local study has found that secondary school students from lower-income families are not a homogeneous group held back by a lack of resources. Researchers from the National Institute of Education (NIE) found a more nuanced picture of such students, identifying five distinct profiles based on self-reported attributes....

Project 7

2026-06-15

Zaobao: 国立教育学院开展新研究 关注青少年青春期变化和发展

来自低收入家庭的学生可能因资源有限无法充分发挥潜力,但他们当中有的具备很强的韧性和适应力,学习能力和心理素质佳,若能提供适当的环境和支援,他们同样有机会实现潜力。南洋理工大学国立教育学院2023年起,展开名为“梦想”(DREAMS)的纵向研究,追踪7000多名各源流中学生从中一至中四的学习与生活情况。...

Project 7

2026-06-15

DREAMS Symposium 2026

DREAMS held its second symposium on 7 January 2026, bringing together researchers, educators, policymakers, and practitioners to examine adolescent development across diverse social and educational contexts. Drawing on longitudinal research from Singapore and internationally, the symposium highlighted how adolescents’ developmental pathways are shaped by opportunities, challenges, and support across this critical stage of life....

Uncategorized

2026-03-09

PI Sharing: Stress

Last year, Dr Imelda Caleon, Principal Investigator of DREAMS Project 3, presented a series of educational talks about stress to students in some of our participating schools. Below is an infographic recap of her insights....

Project 3

2026-01-07

DREAMS Parent Webinar: Supporting Adolescents Through Stress, Motivation, and Change

On 5 November 2025, DREAMS hosted a parent webinar that brought together researchers and parents to talk openly about some of the most common challenges adolescents face today—from test anxiety and academic stress to motivation, screen time, and parent–child communication....

Lead Project, Project 2, Project 5

2026-01-05

Journal Article: How parents and teachers shape students’ motivation through autonomy support

Why do some students feel motivated and engaged in school, while others feel pressured or disconnected—especially as academic demands increase during adolescence? In Associations between parents’ and teachers’ autonomy support and the bifactor model of academic motivation, Dr Wong Zi Yang and colleagues examine how the ways parents and teachers interact with students influence their motivation......

Project 2

2026-01-05

Journal Article: When Parents Believe, Students Thrive

How much do parents’ expectations really matter for their children’s development? And do teachers play a similar role? In Perceived parental expectations and their role in academic and psychosocial functioning, Associate Professor Gregory Arief D. Liem (DREAMS Project 2 Principal Investigator) and colleagues examine how students’ perceptions of their parents’ and teachers’ expectations shape not only academic motivation, but also psychosocial well-being......

Project 2

2025-12-23

DREAMS on the Global Stage: Presentations Across 4 Continents (2025)

This year, the DREAMS team has been actively sharing our research with international communities across Asia, Europe, Oceania and the United States. Here’s a look at where DREAMS has been featured so far this year:...

Project 1, Project 3, Project 5

2025-09-05

Principals & School Leaders Sharing 2025

On 26 August 2025, we welcomed over 100 attendees from our DREAMS partner schools, along with MOE representatives and the DREAMS research team, for an engaging afternoon of sharing and discussion on the project's latest findings. The session began with Prof Kenneth Poon, Lead Principal Investigator (PI) of DREAMS, who shared broad insights from our study...

Lead Project, Project 1, Project 2, Project 3, Project 4, Project 5, Project 6, Project 7

2025-09-01