Mdm Quek Shir Ryn did not enjoy Science as a student. That is always a surprise coming from the Head of Department of Science (!) at Bartley Secondary School. She might even have spaced out once or twice in class, she confesses, because “I couldn’t understand the ‘why’ behind the concepts”.
As a teacher today, when she sees her students looking restless, it reminds her of her younger self. “It’s not that they are not trying. I can see that they are trying very hard in many other areas like their CCA, Student-Initiated Learning, or leading their peers,” she reasons. That is a signal to her to up her game, to help them find the relevance behind what they are learning.
Making links to industry and perfumery
Her intent came through clearly in the years after the Covid-19 pandemic. The school’s Applied Learning Programme (ALP) in Chemical and Applied Sciences (Fragrance) had stalled. Industry partnerships had gone quiet, and student engagement had dipped. “I thought, I need to do something about this,” she says. “If we want our students to take science seriously — to see its relevance — then they need to see it applied in the real world.”
Mdm Quek reached out to companies and strengthened partnerships with industry players such as P&G and Scent by Six, who subsequently gave input to the programme. Guest speakers were invited to share career pathways in STEM, and students were brought on learning journeys to fragrance labs and consumer healthcare companies. For the perfumery module, Mdm Quek collaborated with perfumery experts to enhance students’ understanding of how scientific principles apply to real-world fragrance formulation.
Cultivating tomorrow’s STEM leaders today
As ALP programme owner, Mdm Quek is known for planning learning journeys that demonstrate real-world application of STEM concepts — including trips for department teachers to the NUS Science Demo Lab and ITE College Central. She believes that for students to be excited about STEM, teachers must first be inspired themselves.
When Secondary 3 students visited A*STAR’s National Metrology Centre, they deepened their understanding of SI units and the role measurement science plays in supporting industries. They also learned how precision in measurement underpins innovation, ensures product reliability, and facilitates international trade.
Beyond the classroom, she extends STEM learning through industry partnerships. When she brought students to Kenvue Singapore, they gained invaluable insights into the fragrance development process and learned how sensory science influences consumer experiences. They also explored how global industry leaders like Kenvue and Givaudan collaborate, and the technologies involved in creating consumer health products.
The visit included hands-on activities, sensory testing, and a career panel that opened students’ eyes to STEM pathways in the personal care and fragrance sector. Experiences like these not only deepen academic understanding but also inspire students to consider future careers in applied science and technology fields.
For science-inclined students like Darryl Soh, 15, who went on one of these learning journeys, these trips were eye-opening. “It was the first time I thought maybe being a doctor wasn’t the only career path for me,” he says. “There are other ways to contribute in healthcare — and Mdm Quek helped me see that.”
Mdm Quek also champions hands-on learning. Darryl recalls building a hydraulic claw to elucidate physical laws. “She doesn’t just teach – she brings physics to life,” he says.
In one lesson, she challenged students with the TikTok Chair Challenge, a viral trend used to illustrate Physics principles like centre of gravity and balance. “They were laughing and learning at the same time,” she notes. Other hands-on activities she has introduced include building miniature DC motors to understand electromagnetism, and using M&Ms to simulate radioactive decay.
That is the kind of lightness Mdm Quek brings even to heavy days. When Darryl showed marked improvement in his assessments, he and his classmates thanked her. But she reminded them, “It’s not me, it’s you. You took the assessment, these grades belong to you. Own it. I already took mine many years ago!”
On communication skills and differentiated learning
Beyond creating connections between students and the curriculum, Mdm Quek emphasises communication.
“Science is often seen as inaccessible and full of jargon,” she says. “But if students can explain complex ideas to their peers in a way that makes sense, that’s when I know they have understood it deeply.” At science fairs and in classroom discussions, she pushes students to translate complex theories into everyday language. “It helps them realise that being understood is part of being credible.”
She welcomes students to come to her to prepare for mock interviews, presentations, and discussions on their plans for their future. As the officer-in-charge of the Talent Development Committee, she works closely with the Education and Career Guidance team to find out students’ aspirations and create opportunities for portfolio-building by sourcing STEM-related internships and job shadowing experiences that align with the students’ goals.
Her belief in access and inclusion also shaped how she responded to Full Subject-Based Banding: Mdm Quek and her team developed bite-sized, inclusive STEM ALP materials to support students across different streams and varied learning needs, enabling them to come together meaningfully during common curriculum time.
“We had to think differently about how we presented content,” she explains. The team created simplified materials and scaffolded lessons — breaking learning down into manageable steps with clear guidance — so that students with varying levels of readiness could understand the same concepts. For some, that meant breaking topics down further. For others, it was about providing challenging tasks to stretch their abilities. Through ALP lessons, she was able to observe the unique strengths and spark in each student from Secondary 1, allowing her to guide them with a personalised approach throughout their secondary school years. One student later told her, “Teacher, I didn’t give up because you didn’t give up on me.” That, she adds, “stuck with me.”
In the spirit of scientific breakthroughs
As HOD, Mdm Quek actively promotes professional learning in her team. She encourages staff to engage in hands-on workshops, industry talks, participate in research and collaborative learning to keep abreast of emerging technologies and pedagogies.
Under her leadership, teachers from Chemistry, Biology, and Physics units come together to co-develop STEM-infused activities that connect concepts across disciplines. These collaborations have led to more integrated learning experiences that can model the kind of interdisciplinary thinking that underpins real-world problem-solving.
“Science is always evolving, so we have to keep evolving as teachers,” she says. “I also want my students to be okay with not knowing everything yet, and to be excited about discovery.”
“Science is always evolving, so we have to keep evolving as teachers. I also want my students to be okay with not knowing everything yet, and to be excited about discovery.”
Mdm Quek
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