Atsushi MATACHI Senior Advisor (Basic Education)

Japan International Cooperation Agency

International Congress on Mathematics Education (ICME)

JICA’s Support to Mathematics Education in Developing Countries

13 February 2015

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Japan’s ODA and JICA

ODA:Official Development Assistance

Bilateral Assistance

Multilateral Assistance

Technical Cooperation

Loan

Grant Aid

JICA• JICA is the executing agency of Japan’s ODA.

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90’s 00’s

　　●→Math & ScienceJapan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) (60’-)

　　　●→Primary School Construction (90’-)

　　 ●→Technical Cooperation in Basic Education (1994-)

　　　●→Regional Cooperation inMath & Science (2003-) - Kenya - Honduras

60’s

　　　●→Technical Cooperation in Education Management (1998- ）

JICA’s Assistance in Basic Education

• Sin3ce the beginning of the 1990s, JICA has strengthened the support to the Basic Education Sector in developing countries.

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Focused Areas of JICA’s Technical Cooperation in Basic Education

Universal Access to Quality Basic Education

1. Improving Access to Education- School construction- Non-formal education / girls education

2. Improving Quality of Education- Teacher education and training (Math&Sci)

- Improving teaching and learning approach

- Developing teacher’s guides/students’ workbooks

3. Improving Educational Management- Training on local educational administrators- School management

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JICA’s Technical Cooperation Projects by Areas (%) (103 Projects in 1994-2012)

JICA’s Technical Cooperation in Education

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So far:

Improving teaching and learning approach (pedagogy)

Establishing In-Service Education and Training (INSET) system for teachers

- Cascading approach

- School-based approach (Lesson Study) Developing Teacher’s guides/students’ workbooks

Major Focuses of JICA’s Projects for Teacher Education (Math&Sci)

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Strengthening of Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education (SMASSE)

1998-2003 (Phase 1) /2003-2008 (Phase 2)

Case 1: Improving Teaching Approach and Establishing INSET system in Kenya

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- Shortage of human resources for industrialization and technological progress

- Low academic performance in M&S- Shortage of qualified teachers in M&S

- Too much theories without experiments and activities- Lack of skills for material development

- Ad-hoc basis INSET for teachers

Context of SMASSE

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Purposes of Kenya SMASSE

<Teaching and learning Approach>To develop skills of teachers to conduct lessons

that are interesting and understandable for students

<INSET system>To establish a system for continuous in-service education

and training for mathematics and science teachers9

ASEI lesson: that allows students to think and find solutions on their own

Activity-basedLecture-basedTeacher provides solutions Students find solutions

Theory-basedExperiment-based

Conventional apparatus

Improvised materials

Teaching and Learning Approach

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Establishing an INSET System (Cascade Approach)

100 District INSET Center

Schools

60 National Trainers

900 District Trainers

National Training

District Training

Lesson

900 District Trainers

14,000 M&S Teachers

<INSET contents >

<Transfer >

<Transfer >

Learner-centred approach

<Practice>

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Uganda

Nigeria

Rwanda

（ As of Apr. 2013 ）

Malawi

Kenya

Ghana

Angola

Senegal Niger

Burkina Faso

Sierra Leone

Tanzania

Zambia

Regional Cooperation in Africa

Between continentsCollaboration between Asia and Africa (Malaysia, etc.)

Experience sharing among 27 countries in Africa・ Third-country training in Kenya ・ Experience sharing with other countries in Africa

SMASE projects in 14 countries

S. Sudan

Ethiopia

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Case 2: Lesson Study in Zambia

2005-2007 (Phase 1) / 2008-2011 (Phase 2) / 2011-15 (Phase 3)

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• Poor performance of pupils in Science and Mathematics.

• Existence of Government Policy on INSET and School-based Continuing Professional development (CPD)

• Need to develop a sustainable and cost-effective CPD programme.

• Ensures minimum disturbance of teaching-pupil contact time.

Context

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• As a tool to change lessons that are more interesting and more understandable for students

→To explore a good lesson in Zambia• As a tool to allow teachers to participate in

continuous professional development

　　→ To change the attitudes of teachers• As a tool to revitalize the existing system of school-

based INSET

　　→ To make school-based INSET as part of daily life

Three Functions expected from Lesson Study

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• Implementation Guideline by the Ministry • Implementing in the existing framework of the

School Programme of the In-service for the Term (SPRINT).

• For both Primary & Secondary (G1-12)• Starting from Science & Mathematics as entry and

extended to other subjects• Requested all schools to implement• Participated by Teachers, Teacher educators, School

managers.• LS Facilitators selected among teachers and trained

at local workshops and abroad.

How Lesson Study is Implemented

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Cycle of Lesson Study

2. Plan the lesson collaboratively.

2. Plan the lesson collaboratively.

3. Implement the demo-lesson.

3. Implement the demo-lesson.

4. Discuss the lesson and reflect

on its effect.

4. Discuss the lesson and reflect

on its effect.5. Revised the

lesson.5. Revised the

lesson.

1. Define problems /challenges.

1. Define problems /challenges.

6. Teach the revised lesson.

6. Teach the revised lesson.

7. Discuss the lesson and reflect

again.

7. Discuss the lesson and reflect

again.

8. Compile and share the

reflections.

8. Compile and share the

reflections.

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Case 3: Developing Teacher’s Guides in Honduras

Project for the Improvement of Teaching Method in Mathematics (PROMETAM)

2003-2006 (Phase 1) / 2006-2011 (Phase 2)

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Context

Context ：• Low completion rate at primary level （ Gross

enrolment rate: 90%⇔Completion rate: Less than 60 ％）

• Inadequate capacities of teachers (Insufficient subject content knowledge and pedagogical skills)

• 13-year experience in dispatching Japanese volunteers in mathematics education

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Developing Teacher’s Guides

Purpose of the Project:• To improve teaching method at primary

level by using teachers’ guides

Major activities:- Developing teachers’ guides for primary

mathematics- Developing learners’ workbooks for

primary mathematics- Conducting In-service teacher training - Monitoring and evaluation - Training counterparts

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Teachers’ Guides and Students’ Workbooks

Students’ workbooks Teachers’ guides21

Impact of PROMETAM

Nationwide distribution of teachers’ guidebooks and students’ workbooks, later adopted as textbooks

Other countries in Central America are interested in the guidebooks and workbooks, and requested Japan to assist in strengthening mathematics education with the same approach as Honduras.

⇒ Regional cooperation with other countries in Central America, e.g., Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua,, Dominican Republic.

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Lessons Learned from the past experiences of JICA’s projects

1. Easy to change lesson delivery superficially, but difficult to change essentially (profoundly) .→ Develop core personnel.

2. Incentives are needed for teachers to participate in CPD → Formulate a policy.

3. Interventions to teachers only are not enough.→ Need interventions to students.

4. Examinations are not aligned with teaching method.→ Align the three levels of curriculum.

5. Teaching time is not enough→ Increase school hours.

Holistic approach and systemic change are needed!

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From now on: Holistic Approach for Quality Learning

1. Holistic approach to improving quality of learning which deals with curriculum, textbooks, lesson delivery, students’ learning and assessment

2. in combination with human resource development, policy formulation for systemic change leading to improving learning environment.

Examination/Assessment

ImprovingQuality of Learning

Curriculum/Textbook

Learners/Learning

Lesson Delivery (TeachingCapacity)

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Intended curriculum

Implemented curriculum

Achieved curriculum

Case 4: Improving Assessment (Developing Test Items) in Ethiopia

Enhance the quality of curriculum strategy

Curriculum

Classroom lessons

Assess-ment

By improving question

items

improve lessons

Intended curriculum

Curriculum

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Case 5: Student Workbooks in Niger

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Results of the student learning assessment

Average score per grade

Grade mark

1st 1.8 / 12

2nd 9.8 / 24

3rd 13.4 / 24

4th 16.5 / 24

5th 20 / 24

6th 22.9 / 24

1) 2 + 1 =

2) 2 + 3 =

3) 4 + 0 =

4) 3 + 4 =

5) 7 + 2 =

6) 4 + 4 =

7) 7 + 3 =

8) 4 + 6 =

9) 5 + 5 =

10) 9 + 2 =

11) 6 + 6 =

12) 8 + 5 =

13) 3 – 2 =

14) 4 – 1 =

15) 5 – 5 =

16) 8 – 6 =

17) 7 – 2 =

18) 9 – 9 =

19) 10 – 5 =

20) 10 – 8 =

21) 10 – 0 =

22) 12 – 3 =

23) 10 – 5 =

24) 17 – 9 =

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3rd and 4th grade students

10% of the 3rd grade students got a zero10% of the 3rd grade students got a zero

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Three main factors to improve basic knowledge and skill

Approximately 200 hours supplementary

lesson per year secured by the

community.

Approximately 200 hours supplementary

lesson per year secured by the

community.

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Contents of math workbooks

• Self-study tool • Arithmetical exercises of the four basic operations and the

concept of the numbers• Step by step learning according to their own ability

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Supplementary Group Studies

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Examination/Assessment

ImprovingQuality of Learning

Curriculum/Textbook

Learners/Learning

JICA Project Mapping on “Improving Quality of Learning”

PalestinePrimary Math & Sci

Textbook Revision (under way)

BangladeshCurriculum & Textbook Revision

and INSET in Math & Sci

PNGTV Program /Curriculum

reform

CambodiaDeveloping Teachers’ Guide in

Sci & Math

Nicaragua, PRESET, Maths

Burkina Faso, Senegal, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi

INSET in Sci & Math, Nationwide

Zambia Lesson Study focusing on

Kyozai-Kenkyu

MoroccoWrong Answer Analysis,

developing Teaching & Learning Material, Providing INSET

Lesson/ Teaching (TeachingCapacity)

In-service training= INSETPre-service training=PRESET

MyanmarPrimary Textbook Revision(all subjects), Teacher

Education & Examination

Niger, SenegalSelf Study Math Work

Book

EthiopiaExamination consistent

with Curriculum, Textbooks & Lessons

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