The ICDME-Tsukuba Conference: International Cooperation
Development in Mathematics Education, Tokyo, 11th – 12thFebruary, 2022

JICA's International Cooperation in
the Field of Mathematics Education
Atsushi MATACHI / Norihiro NISHIKATA
Senior Advisor (Basic Education)
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

Outline of the Presentation

1. JICA’s Technical Cooperation in
Mathematics Education
2. Achievements and Challenges
3. Sustainable Learning Improvement
Mechanism (SLIM)

1What is JICA?

Bilateral
AssistanceODA:
Official
Development
AssistanceTechnicalCooperation
Loan
Grant Aid

MultilateralAssistance

JICA(Japan International
Cooperation Agency)• JICA is the executing agency of Japan’s ODA.
2

Basic Principle ofJICA's Technical Cooperation (TC)-Capacity Development (CD) is a basic principle of JICA’s TechnicalCooperation (TC).

-

CD is defined as “the process by which individuals, organizations,institutions, and societies develop “abilities” (individually andcollectively) to perform functions, solve problems, and set and achieve
objectives. (by UNDP)-CD is an endogenous process in which partner countries take the lead.
SocietyOrganization- JICA’s TC aims to develop asystem / mechanism that issustainable.

Individual3

Global Trends of Educational Development
and JICA’s Basic Education Cooperation
Global Trend

JICA’s Basic Education Cooperation
1966 Japan Overseas Cooperation
Volunteers (JOCVs)

1960
1970
1980
1990

World Conference on Education
for All (EFA)

2000

MDGs
Dakar Framework for Action

2010
2020

2015 SDGs

1990s Primary School construction
1994 Math and Science/Teacher Training
2000 Lesson Study
2010s Curriculum, Textbook andAssessment

Learning crisis

Focus on “learning”
4JICA’s TC Projects in Basic Education
JICA’s Technical Cooperation Projects by Region (%)(126 Projects in 1994-2015)
MiddleEast: 9%
Oceania2%

LatinAmerica
16%

Africa 44%

Asia 29%

5

JICA’s TC Projects in Basic Education
JICA’s Technical Cooperation Projects by Sub-sector (%)(126 Projects in 1994-2015)
Ed. Admin.
3%

Non-Formal
Ed. 7%

School Mgt.
22%
Math and Science
Education (TeacherEducation)
68%

6

Major Approaches of JICA’s TC Projects
in Math and Science Education
1. Teacher training approach

Strengthening ofMathematicsand ScienceEducation
Project in Kenya

1) To develop skills of teachers to deliver
learner-centered lessons that motivate
students to think and find solutions.
2) To establish a teacher training system.
(cascading model)Lesson Study
Project inZambia* Lesson Study was introduced in somecountries for continuous school orcluster-based training

2. Learning materials development
approach (by Japanese volunteers) Girls studying withtextbook inGuatemala

Example: INSET System Establishedat Secondary Level in Kenya
60 National
Trainers

NationalTraining

900 District
Trainers

100District
INSET
Center

900 District
Trainers

District
Training
14,000 M&S Teachers

Schools<Practice>

Lesson8Major Achievements ofJICA-supported Math Education Projects
1. Established a sustainable in-service trainingsystem.
2. Improved lesson delivery.
3. Improved student’s participation in lessons.

9Major Challenges Encounteredby JICA-supported Math Projects
1. The learner-centered teaching method does notnecessarily lead to improvement in children’s learning.
2. The learner-centered teaching method is implemented
in the classroom only to a limited extent.

10

Major Challenge 1
1. The learner-centered teaching method does notnecessarily lead to improvement in children’s learning.
Cause(a) Activities in thelessons do not promotelearner's thinking.

Deeper Cause- Activities are incorporated for the sake of activity; e.g.,group work.
- Teachers themselves do not understand the purpose ofeach activity in the lesson.
- Many teachers have a tendency to think that what matters iswhat teachers do, not what learners do.

(b) Teacher’s attention tolearner’s thinking andlearning is not sufficient.

(c) Many learners do not
sufficiently master basic
knowledge and skills.

- Many teachers do not observe learner’s behaviours
carefully.
- It is difficult for many teachers to understand the status oflearning of their learners because learning is not visible.
-Sufficient time and opportunities were not given tolearners to consolidate and retain their understanding.

-Lessons were focused on procedures, not conceptualunderstanding.
11

Major Challenge 2
2. The learner-centered teaching method is implemented in
the classroom only to a limited extent.
Cause(d) There are too much content
in the curriculum (syllabus).

(e) There are few items thatassess higher-order thinking
skills in high-stake tests.

Deeper Cause-When developing curricula, time necessary forlearners to think and discuss are notconsidered.

-In some countries, a curriculum development
process does not include practitioners such asteachers.

- In some cases, the achieved curriculum(assessment) is not aligned with the intended
curriculum.

(f) It is difficult for many teachers - Improving a lesson requires “kyozai-kenkyu”,
to apply the learner-centerednamely, an intensive study of teaching andteaching method learned inlearning content.
the training to other lessons.
- It is not easy for a teacher to improve lessons by
her/himself.
12

Sustainable Learning Improvement
Mechanism (SLIM)
Thee main factors of SLIM(a) Increase in
Engaged Timeon Learning

El Salvador
Mathematics
project (ESMATE)
experience(b) Textbook
andTeacher’s
Guide13(c)Assessment-basedSupport for
Learning

Sustainable Learning Improvement
Mechanism (SLIM)(a) Increase in Engaged Time on Learning

Individual
learning(a) Increase in
EngagedTime onLearning(b)
Textbook
andTeacher’s
Guide

(c)
Assessment-basedSupport for
Learning

Mutuallearning

14

Sustainable Learning Improvement
Mechanism (SLIM)(b) Textbook and Teacher’s Guide(a) Increase in
Engaged Timeon Learning(b) Textbook
andTeacher’sGuide

1.Content of textbooks
2.Structure of textbooks
3.Importance of try-out
4.Spport for lesson delivery for teachers(Teacher’s guides)(c)
Assessmentbased
Support forLearningSustainable Learning Improvement
Mechanism (SLIM)(c) Assessment-based Support for Learning
Teacher’s mind-set should shift from"teaching" to "learning support”(a) Increase
in Engaged
Time onLearning(b)
Textbook
andTeacher’s
Guide(c)Assessment-based
Support forLearning
16Conclusion– JICA’s TC in Mathematics Education –
1990s
EFA

2000s

2010s

MDGs
Capacity development

2020s
SDGs

Lesson Improvement though teacher training
Lesson Study
Development of Curriculum,
Textbook / Teacher’s Guide
Sustainable Learning
Improvement
Mechanism (SLIM)

Learner-centered lesson
17