Your Role
The DREAMS research team sincerely thanks you, your family, and your teachers for sharing about what it’s like to be a secondary school student in Singapore. Without you, this study wouldn’t be possible.
What can I expect as a DREAMS participant?
- You will be allocated time during school hours to complete 2 surveys per year throughout your secondary education.
- Complete your surveys and receive a $10 voucher from us as a thank you!
- You may be invited for additional follow-up interview sessions in Term 4.
What else can I do as a DREAMS participant?
2024 Overview
Term 2
Tokens of appreciation/voucher distribution by DREAMS research team
You will receive a $10 voucher if you completed any survey in 2023.
Term 3 – 4
Survey distribution
- 2 surveys to be distributed during school hours
- Some students may be invited to complete additional surveys and/or attend a follow-up interview session
What happens to my survey responses?
Complete your surveys every year
and tell us about different areas of your life as a secondary school student
Answers compiled into sets
Personal details are removed to protect your privacy, and everyone’s answers are combined and sorted to create data sets
Crunching the numbers...
Our researchers make important discoveries about the development and educational pathways of teenagers in Singapore
Spread the word!
Our findings will be shared far and wide — to policymakers, professionals, teachers, parents, students and more (both locally and internationally)
Making real change
We hope that policies and practices in educational settings and beyond will be developed based on our findings to help improve the lives of students in Singapore
Frequently Asked Questions
When will you share your findings?
What is a longitudinal cohort study?
A longitudinal cohort study is a research project where we observe and gather information from a group of people (that’s you and ~7000 other students) over an extended period, like several years. The goal is to understand how your experiences and choices shape your lives as you progress through secondary school and beyond.
Do I have to do the surveys?
You decide whether to complete the surveys. While participation is voluntary, we encourage you to take part. Your survey responses are a direct contribution to meaningful research that can positively influence policies and practices related to your education and well-being. It’s a chance to have your voice heard and make a real impact.
Since this is a longitudinal study, where we follow the same group of people over many years, your continued participation is greatly valued. Your ongoing involvement allows us to track changes and developments in your lives, providing a more comprehensive understanding.
Why am I a part of this study?
You were invited to this study either as a part of the 2023 Secondary 1 cohort of one of the 28 schools selected for this study, or as a current participant of the SKIP(-UP) study.
What do I get for being a DREAMS participant?
- Welcome gift bag
- Vouchers for completing surveys
- Opportunity to participate in our June Holiday camp
What exactly is DREAMS studying?
We are studying a wide range of areas such as
- School & career aspirations
- self-identity & decision making
- social & relational contexts,
- mental health, wellbeing, & lifestyle
- early childhood and primary experiences
Learn more on our About Page
When will I receive my voucher?
You will receive a $10 voucher for your 2023 participation either when our research team visits your school in Term 2 2024 or electronically via email. The voucher for completing 2024 surveys will be given to you next year (2025).
What happens if I don’t complete the surveys?
Opting out of any surveys will not affect your relationship with the National Institute of Education or Ministry of Education or impact any ongoing assessment/grades. You may skip any questions you do not wish to answer.
How are you protecting participants’ privacy/data?
The DREAMS research team takes our responsibility as guardians of participants’ information very seriously. We have several procedures in place to keep your data and privacy secure and protected.
DREAMS has approval and oversight from the NTU Institutional Review Board (IRB), ensuring compliance with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). The NTU-IRB ensures the protection of human subjects involved in research studies by maintaining the highest levels of research ethics and integrity.
Your participation in this research will be kept confidential. Identifying information (e.g., name, last 4 characters of NRIC, e-mail address) will be asked to ensure the accuracy of our records, for linking of data collected at different time points, and for contacting you. Identifying information is removed and replaced with a random numeric ID to ensure anonymity before it is transferred to our research team for analysis, where everyone’s answers are combined and reported as aggregates.
The findings of this study may be reported in scientific presentations and reports, as well as social and broadcast media. Your identity will NOT be reflected or disclosed in these presentations, reports, and publications.
