The ICDME-Tsukuba Conference: International Cooperation
Development in Mathematics Education Tokyo, Feb 12th.2022

How Did El Salvador Improve Student Learning Achievement inMathematics? ―A Principal Strategy Methodology of JICA Toward
Achieving SDGs 4Feb 12th.2022
Norihiro Nishikata
Senior Advisor in Education
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

Contents
1. Strategy of the Project ESMATE （G1 to G11）
2. Overview of the Results of Randomized Controlled Trial(RCT)3. Behavioral change of all the stakeholders to ensuresustainability

1.Strategy of the Project ESMATE
G1 to G11

ESMATE strategy to improve math learning

Qualitylearningmaterial
Support for
studentlearning
based onevaluation(teaching)

Textbook & Workbook
https://www.mined.gob.sv/esmate/

Engagedtime onlearning4Basic concept of ESMATE strategy to improve math learning
Improvement in student math achievement

Increase of engaged
time in learning mathLearners can study mathwith learning material.

Quality learning material(Learner-friendly
textbook)-Allocate time to work with mathproblems
Check and give instruction to learners,
walking around classroom
Assign homework for study at home

Support for learningbased on evaluation

Learning material
structures support ofteachers.

Quality learning material
Basic concept of the ESMATE textbook• Traditional approach to teaching mathematics in El Salvador‒ Students merely copied the answer without understanding how it was derived.
Teachers did not pay attention to how much students learned, and moved to the next
new topic (JICA 2019).

• Basic concept of the ESMATE textbook‒ Subject contents are carefully subdivided considering the student assessment
conducted by the project, and the contents are sequenced in the textbook to assure
small-step learning by students.
‒ Standard learning process in each math lesson is designed, considering the capacityof teachers in the country, to increase the engaged time in a lesson.

‒ “Engaged time is the proportion of instructional time during which students are
cognitively and behaviorally on task or engaged in learning” (Gettinger & Walter,2011)6

Quality learning material: learning process in ESMATE textbook
1. Student understands the themeof the lesson

2. Student solves problem
example3. Student understands themechanism
4. Student works on exercises inclassStudent works on exercises athome
Textbooks, workbooks and teachers’ guidebooks developed by
the project are posted on the following website by the Ministryof Education in El Salvador.

https://www.mined.gob.sv/esmate/7

Support for student learning based on evaluation:
Instructional routine of ESMATE
1. Allocate
students time
to work on
math problem

2. Check student
understanding,and provide feedback(3. Facilitate mutual
learning amongstudents)• Pose mathproblem• Allocate time tosolve mathproblem forstudents• Check student
notebook and walkaround in aclassroom• Provide a hint• Explain correct
answer andinstruction• Ask students tocheck their own
answer• (Allocate time formutual learning
among students)

4. Practiceagain• Ask students totry wrong
answer again• Assignhomework

8Support for student learning based on evaluation:
Mutual review meeting of teachers
Analysis of theresults ofassessment (unittests)

Awareness change from“teaching” toward“supporting learning”

Solving all the unit
tests for next term

Review of mathcontents to teach

Revising theplanning of nextterm

Behavioral changefrom “teaching”
toward “supportinglearning”

Becoming
confident inmath class

Increasing thecontents to becoveredSelfreflectiveteacher

2.Overview of the Results ofRandomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
Source: Maruyama, Takao and Takashi Kurosaki. “Developing Textbooks to Improve
Student Math Learning: Empirical Evidence from El Salvador.” JICA Ogata Sadako
Research Institute Working Paper, No.217, January 2021.

Experimentation designGroup2018

2019

Control

W/OIntervention

Intervention

TreatmentIntervention

Intervention

Targeted grade of students• 2nd grade (primary)• Follow up same students in2019

Evaluate Y1 impact
Evaluate accumulated impact of Y1 intervention• Sampling frame: 369 basic education public schools in departments ofCabañas, La Union, San Miguel and San Vicente• Control group: 125 schools (1,846 students at the baseline survey)• Treatment group: 125 schools (1,939 students at the baseline survey)

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Math test items•

Content of test items
Baseline : Content of 1st grade, 20 including problems posed in text
End-line : Content of 2nd grade, 20 including problems posed in text
Follow-up: Content of 2nd and 3rd grade, 25 including problems posed in text

•Test items: written test

•Duration: 45 minutes•

Test is organized by surveyors. (Without presence of teacher). All the data arecollected by Koei Research & Consulting Inc. (KRC) under the contract with JICA,
in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, El Salvador.
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The impacts of ESMATE program on math learning• Average one-year impact of the ESMATE program on math learning of primary 2nd
grade is estimated at 0.48 standard deviations of test scores.
• Average accumulated impact of the first-year intervention in the following year isestimated at 0.12 standard deviations of test scores. The ESMATE program improved
math learning, and the impact persisted even after schools of the control group also
received the package of interventions in the following year.

BaselineEnd-line

Follow-up

Year 0Year 1

Year 2

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The impacts of ESMATE program on math teaching
Year 1

In year 1, the ESMATE program increased thepercentage of teachers who walked around ina classroom to check student notebook, andassign homework in the treatment group.

3. Behavioral change of all the stakeholders toensure sustainability

So that all stakeholders can be motivated, howshould be the relation among them?
I want to beStudents

Providing a place
to be evaluated(e.g.; Check andacceptance)

Teachers

Providing a place tobe evaluated(Mutual learning)

Prefecture board ofeducation officers

Providing autonomy andplace to be evaluated andencouraged by otherprefectures.
(e.g.; Experience sharingseminar)

Officers ofMinistry ofEducation

evaluatedandencouraged.

I want to beevaluated andencouraged.

I want to beevaluated andencouraged.

Thank you very much for your attention