Journal of Southeast Asian Education
The Official Journal of SEAMEO
2023 | Volume 1 | Special Issue

Technology and Values-Driven
Transformation in Education2023 | Volume 1 | Special Issue

Technology and Values-Driven
Transformation in Education

Southeast Asian
Ministers of Education
Organization

Journal of Southeast Asian Education
2023 Vol 1 | Special Issue
112 pages
ISSN 1513-4601
The Journal of Southeast Asian Education is the official scholarly publication of the Southeast Asian
Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO). The primary goal of this international journal is to provide
information and analyses to aid in policymaking and planning for the countries in the region. This joint publication,a collaboration between SEAMEO and the University of Tsukuba, Japan, encourages the sharing of ideas on
educational topics and comparative studies for students, instructors, researchers, and lecturers on regionaland global platforms. Each article is prepared to provide readers with an overview of how education systems
and advocacy are designed and executed, particularly in establishing national capacities. The SEAMEO
Secretariat issued the first issues of the Journal of Southeast Asian Education in July 2000.
Executive Editor:

Dr. Kamaleswaran Jayarajah(Research, Evaluation and Assessment Specialist of SEAMEO Secretariat)

Consultant:

Professor Dr. Nayan Kanwal(Chief Consultant, Horizon JHSSR, AESSR, IJSSAI, S’pore)

Editors:

Prof Masami Isoda(Professor, University of Tsukuba, Japan)
Dr. Nomura Nakao(Associate Professor, University of Tsukuba, Japan)
Mr John Arnold Siena(Deputy Director for Programme & Development of SEAMEO Secretariat)
Ms Chanika Nonthachai(Secretary of Programme and Development Office of SEAMEO Secretariat)

Editorial Office:

Journal of Southeast Asian Education
SEAMEO Secretariat
Mom Luang Pin,
Malakul Centenary Building,920 Sukhumvit Road,
Bangkok 10110,
ThailandPhone:
Fax:
Website:+66 (0) 2391-0144, 2391-0256, 2391-0554+66 (0) 2381-2587
secretariat@seameo.org

Printed in Bangkok, Thailand(c) SEAMEO 2023
The designations and presentation of the materials throughout the publication do not imply any opinion on thepart of SEAMEO regarding the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area, or its authorities, frontiers, orboundaries.

iv

Contents
01 FOREWORD: A Message form the Director, SEAMEO Secretariat
Datuk Dr Habibah Abdul Rahim

02 Lifelong Learning in the Digital Age1

Khau Huu Phuoc

03 Arising Significance of the SEA-Teacher Pilot Programme 2 on Japan-Related
Participants: Challenges and Collaborations Among Multicultural Peers

13

Nao Ishihara, Masami Isoda and Nakao Nomura

04 SEAMOLEC’s Initiatives on Technology and Values-Driven Transformation in K-12
Education28
Wahyudi and Aline Almandha

05 A Breakthrough of Values-Driven Strategies in Using Multimedia-Based Instruction(MMBI): A Course Towards Sustainable Transformative Education

39

Marife D. Almero, Philip P. Bohol, Jeryphier Cespon, Danica Abegail A. Cordero,
Milmar A. Paña and Faith S. Perocho

06 Development of a Framework for Assessing the Readiness of TVET Institutions for IR 4.0

45

Paryono Paryono and Hartini Mashod

07 Leave No One Behind: The Solution to an Inclusive Future

59

Fezny Othman, Mohd Zulkarnain Abdul Wahab, Mohd Azlis Sani Md Jalil andMohamad Shabilullah Abd Hamid

08 Does the SEA-Teacher Project Bring New Insights into Education in Japan?: Lessons
Learned from ASEAN’s Experience for Japan

63

Yoshikazu Tatemoto and Kenichi Yoshida

09 Unplugged Computational Thinking with Colouring Books

72

Roberto Araya and Masami Isoda

10 Formative Assessment for Human Character Formation in the Case of Mathematics
Education: Self-realisation in Problem Posing Class
Masami Isoda and Huajing Liuv

92

Foreword
Since its inception as an Affiliate Member of theSoutheast Asian Ministers of Education Organization(SEAMEO) in 2009, the University of Tsukuba (UT) of
Japan has been one of the most active SEAMEO Affiliate
Members. Through the collaboration with the Center for
Research on International Cooperation in Educational
Development (CRICED) and the Faculty of Education of
the UT, SEAMEO and UT have developed various teacher
development programmes.
SEAMEO-University of Tsukuba Symposium has beenorganised annually with a different theme according to
Datuk Dr Habibah Abdul Rahim

the needs and emerging issues in teacher education
shared by Japan and Southeast Asia.

The 11th

SEAMEO-University of Tsukuba Symposium under thetheme Technology and Values Driven Transformation in
Education held on 20-22 February 2023 successfully
engaged over 19,860 participants from 45 countries.
With 30 speakers from 10 countries, the symposiumprovided the platform to share and exchange bestpractices carried out by schools and universities apartfrom identifying the challenges encountered by teachers,
students and academicians.
In our effort to ensure the integration of technology andcore values into the educational system to create a more
equitable and inclusive learning environment for all theteachers, students and academicians in Southeast Asia,
SEAMEO and UT have selected quality articles emerging
from the symposium and put them together in the Journalof Southeast Asian Education.

vii

The contributions presented in this journal delve into various
aspects of digital transformation and values in technology
for education.

From exploring teachers’ and students’experiences using technology in classrooms to examining
the impact of teaching programming and computational
thinking, the articles offer valuable insights into thechallenges and opportunities presented by the digital age.
Some of the articles also generally discussed on theimpact of technological outcome which arises out of asocial context is influenced by the values of the day andinfluencing the values of the future.

The technologicallearning provides authentic context for the teachers andstudents to understand how to make meaningful choices on
responsible values when it comes to emerging technologies.
The educational institutions will be able to respond more
effectively in line with the right digital transformation andvalues in technology for education.
I express my sincere gratitude to UT for their support anddedication as this journal will certainly form a valuableaddition to the existing body of knowledge on educationand training. I hope that this journal will inspire policymakers,
teachers, and learners to act towards consolidating thepolicy changes moving forward as well as improving
practices responsive to the demands of the future needs
and challenges especially in teacher education and training.

Datuk Dr Habibah Abdul Rahim
Director, SEAMEO Secretariat
Bangkok, Thailand

viii

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 1 – 12 (2023)

Technology and Values-Driven Transformationin Educationwww.seameo.org

Lifelong Learning in the Digital Age
Khau Huu Phuoc1
SEAMEO Regional Centre for Lifelong Learning (SEAMEO CELLL), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

1*Corresponding Author
Khau Huu Phuoc
Email:
khauhuuphuoc@seameocelll.org

ABSTRACT
Learning through life has been practiced by human beings since ancient times, but
it is the accelerating rate of the development of science and technologies that has
made it an integral part of people’s lives. Digital technologies are an enabler andfacilitator of lifelong learning. Online teaching and learning platforms and open
education resources are providing multiple opportunities for anyone with a need tolearn to acquire knowledge and skills in convenient ways. However, the applicationof digital technologies is not without obstacles. This article reviews the conceptof lifelong learning, and discusses the element of flexibility that is inherent in all
aspects of lifelong learning. It proceeds with how digital technologies can support
lifelong learning in this sense (flexibility of entry and exit points, age, modality,
subject matter and so on) and what the obstacles are in applying technologies tolifelong learning (potential isolation, decreased social interaction and others, andit finally makes recommendations on how to make the best use of web-basedlearning for all for a balance in its use.

Keywords: Lifelong learning, digital technologies, flexibility, face-to-face communication

Introduction
Definition of Lifelong Learning
Learning is ‘a process that leads to change,
which occurs as a result of experienceand increases the potential for improved
performance and future learning’ (Ambrose etal., 2010, p. 3). Living things are characterisedby their ability to learn. As static as trees appear
to be, they also adapt to the environment. An
Indian rubber tree will curtail its growth andpreserve all its leaves to maintain its level ofphotosynthesis in low-light conditions; if it isabruptly exposed to a sunny environment, thetree may wither due to its adaptation to a lowlight setting.
Human beings, the most intellectuallyadvanced form of life, have been learning fromtheir surroundings and from one another since

Published by SEAMEO Organization, ISSN 1513-4601 | Editorial Office: SEAMEO Secretariat, 920 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok, Thailand.
Tel: (+662) 3910144 | Fax: (+662) 3812587 | E-mail: secretariat@seameo.org This article is under CC BY-SA License.

Lifelong Learning in the Digital Age

ancient times. It is this learning from older
generations while in their shelters, or working
in the open that has led to the developmentof human understanding and maintained the‘social continuity of life’, that is, the ‘continued
existence of a society’ (Dewey, 1915). The
practice of learning through life can thus betraced back to ancient times, but it began to
become a prominent one after World War
II (Ouane, 2011) when adult education wasrecognised as ‘a permanent national necessity,
an inseparable aspect of citizenship (that) should
be both universal and lifelong’ (MOR 1919 citedin ILO, 2019, p. 3).
According to UNESCO, lifelong learning is‘rooted in the integration of learning and living,covering learning activities for people of all ages,
in all life-wide contexts and through a variety
of modalities that, together, meet a range oflearning needs and demands’ (UIL, 2022, p. 1).
The International Labour Organisation
defines lifelong learning as ‘all learning activities
undertaken throughout life for the developmentof competencies and qualifications’ (ILO, 2006,
cited in ILO, 2019, p. 7).
Lifelong learning comprises all the phasesof learning from pre-school to postretirement,
including all spectrums of learning (Laal, 2011
cited in Akther, 2020).
Though a universally accepted definition of
lifelong learning is still evasive, practically put, it
is learning that takes place with ‘any’—learning
anything that one needs, at any time, in any
place or context, with anybody, at any rate, in
any mode and using any means. An umbrella
characteristic of lifelong learning is flexibility as
it is not restricted by any physical constraints.

2

Need for Lifelong Learning in the Digital Age
The concept of lifelong learning encompasses
three primary phases of learning activities:
basic formal education, higher education andcontinuing education. While basic and higher
education lay the foundation for personal
growth and development, continuing education,
predominantly undertaken by adults, enables
them to remain functional in the world of workand social life and to pursue personal interestsand hobbies by adapting to new technologies.
Lifelong learning is an integral part ofpersonal growth and development, as it not only
enhances social connections and community
engagement but also promotes a sense offulfillment and well-being. With the rapid paceof technological change, mass population
movement, demographic shifts and climatechange, among several other issues, there is a
growing need for more lifelong learning (UIL,
2019, p. 7).
The rate of development in science andtechnology is accelerating, creating new jobs
and rendering knowledge obsolete in shorter
cycles. According to the World Economic Forum(WEF, 2020), by 2025, advances in automationand technology may displace 85 million jobs
while simultaneously creating 97 million newjobs. Furthermore, the half-life of knowledge, aconcept introduced by Fritz Machlup in 1962 to
describe the time taken for half of the knowledge
in a particular field to become outdated orsuperseded, is decreasing. A century ago, it took
35 years for half of what an engineer learned
when earning their degree to become obsolete.
By the 1960s, this time span had reduced to a
decade. Today, it is likely even shorter (FS, 2023).

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Khau Huu Phuoc

This shrinking half-life of knowledge, coupledwith the rapidly changing world, makes it
imperative for individuals to engage in lifelong
learning to thrive in society. The emerging
work culture demands an increasing numberof skills, with a 10 percent annual increase inskill requirements for one job. Workplaces areemphasising more remote or hybrid work, digitalskills, and managerial functions and support(Muro et al., 2017 cited in Goger et al., 2022).

The Concept of Flexibility in Lifelong Learning
Definition of Flexibility in the Context ofLifelong Learning
Flexibility is defined by Merriam-Webster
as the quality ‘characterised by a readycapability to adapt to new, different or changing
requirements’ (Merriam-Webster, 2023). In
the field of education, flexibility refers to theability to adapt learning contents, modes andforms to meet the learning needs of a particularlearner. The Open and Distance Learning (ODL)
Association of Australia describes flexible

learning as a state in which learning and teaching
are freed from the limitations of time, place andpace of study (ODL Association of Australia,
2017).
Flexible learning implies a departure fromtraditional education requirements, where
there is no minimum or maximum age for alevel of education, no need for regular physicalattendance in classrooms, no mandatory
three-month term of in-class study to obtaina certificate or accumulate credits towards a
degree and no rigid mode of lesson delivery.
Instead, learners have the freedom to choose
their own learning activities, assessment
tasks and educational resources in exchange
for different types of credit and costs (ODL
Association of Australia, 2017).
The International Federation for Information
Processing (IFIP), an organisation affiliatedwith UNESCO, has identified four elements offlexibility in lifelong learning. These elements
include flexibility in time and place, ease of use
for both teachers and students, reusability ofcontent, and the ability to add new modules andFigure 1. Characteristics of Lifelong Learning Seen Through the Lens of Flexibility.
Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 1 – 12 (2023)

3

Lifelong Learning in the Digital Agematerials. These elements align with UNESCO’sconcept of lifelong learning and can be utilised
to create a practical model for lifelong learning
provision (IFIP, 2004).
Figure 1 summarises the aspect of flexibilityof lifelong learning from the above discussion.
In the realm of education, modularisationof learning programmes has been employed
to enhance flexibility by enabling learners tohave entry and exit points that are tailored totheir specific needs. Micro-credentials serve
as a solution to time constraints experienced
by learners when their employers require only
specific skills and knowledge relevant to theirwork, as opposed to an extensive learning
programme. However, flexibility is not solely
restricted to learning programmes; learners
themselves should be able to adapt to novel
methods of acquiring knowledge and skills. As
the world continues to evolve rapidly with the
emergence of new technologies, it is crucial forlearners to stay abreast of the changes. Flexibility
allows learners to embrace new technologies
and integrate them into their learning process.
Moreover, lifelong learning is not exclusively
limited to professional or career-oriented
skills and knowledge; it also encompasses the
pursuit of new interests and passions. Flexibility
provides learners with the freedom to explore
new areas of study and pursue novel hobbies orinterests.

from anywhere, and the ability to improve
hobbies by learning from diverse sources.
Additionally, health conditions are more stable
than in the past. These advancements are a
result of learning. However, this modern age
brings forth more pressure on individuals whowork. They have to complete more tasks, often
of higher complexity and unfamiliar nature, andspend longer periods of time commuting due toheavy traffic. This creates a paradox: the growing
need to acquire new knowledge and skills,
and the shrinking time available for attendingclasses. Therefore, flexibility in learning is
crucial, and all stakeholders in education must
provide it. In recent years, flexibility and lifelong
learning have become key aspects of education
policy in nation-states and bodies such as theEuropean Union and Organisation of Economic
Cooperation and Development (Nicoll, 2006).
Edwards (1997, p. 110) has argued for therequirement of flexibility in most aspects ofsociety, including in building a learning society,in the practice of adult education. ‘Trends aretowards flexibility through such practices as theaccreditation (recognition) of prior learning,credit accumulation and transfer, workplacelearning, criterion-referenced assessment
and student-centred learning. Flexibility is aneffective supporter for the realisation of lifelong
learning’.
Digital Technologies and Lifelong Learning

Importance of Flexibility in Lifelong Learning
In contemporary times, humans areexperiencing an enhanced quality of life. Thereare extensive social connections, an exponential
increase in knowledge that can be accessed

4

Advantages of Digital Technologies in Lifelong
Learning
The integration of digital technologies into
distance learning has been instrumental in
optimising educational practices. In fact, theJournal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 1 – 12 (2023)

Khau Huu Phuoc

Figure 2. More Learners are Accessing Online Learning.
Source: WEF (2022).

Learning Economy Foundation has referred tocurrent educational practices as the ‘Internetof Education’, highlighting the extent towhich online platforms and technologies havetransformed traditional learning environments.
In contrast to traditional classroom-based
education, online learning features greater
flexibility and choice, with asynchronous
lectures enabling students to view recorded
lessons at their own convenience. Furthermore,a wide range of platforms, such as Coursera,
Google Classroom, Khan Academy, LinkedIn
Learning (formerly Lynda.com), Skillshare,
Udacity and Udemy offer both free and paidcourses to millions of learners worldwide.
Online meeting platforms, such as Zoom,
Microsoft Team and Google Meet, also provide
a range of functions to facilitate both teaching
and learning. Personalised learning becomesa reality when learners can select the content
and tools of learning that suit their individual
learning style. The numbers of online learners
are increasing steadily. Figure 2 provides anillustrative example of the growth in the numberof online learners registered on Coursera from2016 to 2021, with a sharp increase from 2019

to 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The
World Economic Forum (WEF, 2022) reported
that the Asia Pacific region had the largest
student presence on learning platforms, with28 million new online learners enrolling for 68
million courses. This was followed by North
America, Europe and Latin America (WEF,
2022).
Overall, the integration of digital technologies
into distance learning has significantly
transformed traditional education, offering
students greater flexibility and access to
educational resources. Traditional education
resources—books, journals, encyclopeadias,
handouts and printed materials, and audio video
recordings—are to be accessed in the localities
where they are kept. These can be libraries,
reading rooms, clubs and bookshops. On thecontrary, digital technologies provide accessto a wealth of information and resources thatcan be used for self-directed learning (UNESCO
IITE and Open Shanghai University, 2022).
Open education resources (OERs) allow accessfrom virtually anywhere as long as there is aninternet connection. These are experiencing
exponential growth. MERLOT Content Builder,

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Lifelong Learning in the Digital Age

OER Commons, Curriki and Wikibooks, andOpen Culture are among the free OERs. This
enables learners to research any topic of interest
and access educational content in a variety offormats, including text, video and audio.
Datareportal reports that 42.3% of individuals
aged 16–64 utilise the internet for education- andstudy-related purposes (Figure 3). Nevertheless,this statistic does not account for non-formal
and informal learning, as a significant proportionof internet usage for activities such as seeking
information (61.0%); watching videos, TV showsand movies (51.5%); and researching how to do
things (51.3%) can also contribute to personallearning and social development.
Numerous websites have been developed
by individuals, organisations, agencies andeducational institutions to disseminate
information, knowledge and skills. One such
example is YouTube, which offers a plethoraof learning opportunities, ranging fromhousehold management, gardening and musicalinstrument lessons to more academic topics
such as research methodology and statistics.
These online resources are accessible aroundthe clock from any location with an internet
connection, thereby elevating informal learningto new heights.
With the world changing at an accelerating
pace and knowledge expanding rapidly, newskills and jobs are emerging. This necessitates
constant revision and updating of learning
programmes. Printed textbooks are static, anddigital materials offer a solution to this rapidchange. E-learning courses can be quickly andeasily updated to provide learners with accessto the latest information and knowledge in theirfield. In addition, subject matter experts who
are actively engaged in the industry or field ofstudy can create and deliver e-learning content,
ensuring that the content is up-to-date andrelevant.

Figure 3. Main Reasons for Using the Internet.
Source: Hootsuite cited in DataPortal (2022).

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Khau Huu Phuoc

The acquisition of knowledge, skills,
integration of social and cultural values andethics by learners occurs through a layer of
constructs, with digital media emerging as an
impactful element in the interaction (Figure 4).
In order to promote individual empowerment
and lifelong learning, flexible learning strategies
and various pathways of learning are required,encompassing both formal, non-formal
education and informal learning and academic
and vocational skills. This is particularly crucial
for those who are marginalised or disadvantaged,
as highlighted by the ASEAN in 2016 (ASEAN,
2016). Lifelong learning serves as a means forindividuals to enhance their self-awareness andto adapt to changes in culture and technology
within society.
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has further
institutionalised the applications of digitaltechnologies in education, beyond its function
as a mere knowledge provider, to that of a co-

Figure 4. The Means Through Which Learners Access andLearn About the World and Society.

creator of information, mentor and assessor, as
stated by Haleema et al. (2022). It has become
increasingly important to prepare for a futurethat is unpredictable and constantly evolving,where technology is expected to play a criticalrole.
Drawbacks of Using Digital Technologies forLifelong Learning
There is no arguing about the application ofdigital technologies to lifelong learning. However,from the learners’ perspective, utilising these is
not without obstacles.
The advent of the internet has further
facilitated distant communication, but thispresents only one aspect of the issue. ‘Humans
are social creatures’ (Cacioppo & Patrick,
2008, p. X). As social beings, humans are
more effectively able to exchange information
through direct or face-to-face communication,
which incorporates body language, facial
expressions, movement and body posture in
addition to verbal content expressed through acommon language (Pease & Pease, 2006). The
renowned authors of the best-selling book The
Definitive Book of Body Language quote Albert
Mehrabian’s 7-38-55 formula, which assertsthat 55% of the total impact of a message isthrough non-verbal presentation. However,in online classes or recorded videos, students
may miss out on subtle cues conveyed throughgestures, body posture and eye contact due tothe absence of face-to-face interaction. Thiscan be experienced in work where poor digitalcommunication is a frequent barrier to work,
leading to around four hours of wasted timeeach week (Dhawan, 2022).

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Lifelong Learning in the Digital Age

Motivation is an important aspect of effective
learning. Adult learners, who voluntarily engage
themselves in a learning session due to theirneed for knowledge and skills that enhancetheir work efficiency, desire to know more
about a topic of their interest or the joy oflearning about a hobby they enjoy have strong
motivations. Younger individuals may not havea similar level of motivation and may be more
prone to distraction.
Online learning also comes with anotherobstacle: the feeling of isolation or, in other words,
the feeling of not being present there, in thelearning environment, as the learners are facing acomputer screen sitting in their places. According
to Lehman and Conceição (2010), two aspectsof online presence are required for individuals
to cross the threshold of the virtual classroom:
telepresence, which is the sense of ‘being there’ inthe context of the classroom, and social presence,
which is the sense of ‘being together with others”.
The internet hosts a vast array of informationand knowledge, but not all of it is of high quality,
as misinformation and disinformation arecommon. Therefore, it is necessary to criticallyevaluate and verify sources before using themfor research or other purposes. Digital literacy,
which involves the effective and responsible
use of digital technologies, is crucial for finding,evaluating, creating and communicating
information, as well as protecting personal
information and privacy.
The digital divide—the unequal distributionof access to technology and digital infrastructure
among different populations—in Southeast Asia
is another obstruction. Disparities in access tothe internet, mobile phones and other digital
devices can be caused by various factors,
including disabilities, illiteracy, age, wealth,concentration of economic activity in urban
areas and enterprise access to capital. According
to a study by Roland Berger, approximately
31% of the adult population in Southeast
Asia, or around 150 million individuals, aredigitally excluded due to a lack of access tocommunication technologies or low levelsof digital literacy (Accountants Today, 2021).
Although digital devices are increasingly present

Figure 5. Percentage of Individuals Using the Internet in Urban and Rural
Areas, 2019–2022.
Source: ITU (2022).

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Khau Huu Phuoc

Figure 6. Southeast Asian Country Rankings in Term of Internet Accessibility, Affordability, Ability and Attitude Towards
Using It (Max Score = 100).
Source: Low et al. (2021).

Figure 7. Fixed Broadband Basket Prices as Percentage of Gross National Income per Capita, 2021–2022.
Source: ITU (2022, p. 12).

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 1 – 12 (2023)

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Lifelong Learning in the Digital Age

in all walks of life, there remains—as seen in
Figure 5—a significant gap of around 40% ininternet use between urban and rural areas
throughout 2019 – 2022.
Southeast Asia ranked fifth out of sevenglobal regions (Figure 6) in a study of digital
inclusion by Roland Berger, a leading global
consultancy, due to low scores in the categories
of affordability and ability (Low et al., 2021).
This is confirmed in a report by the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) which showsthat in Asia-Pacific the cost of fixed broadband
prices is 3.5% and 3.2% higher than the national
income per capita in 2021 and 2022, respectively(Figure 7) (ITU, 2022).
A crucial issue in the implementation of
online education is the adequacy of teachers’
skills in conducting digital instruction. In
response to the COVID-19 pandemic, manyeducational institutions have been forced to shift
towards the use of online teaching modalities incompliance with governmental mandates. As
a result, many teachers have been compelled
to develop their digital teaching abilities while
implementing online teaching, which they had
not been trained for.
Recommendations for Successful Lifelong
Learning in the Digital Age
Governments, educational stakeholders
and the business sector should strengthen
collaborative efforts to:
1. Establish governance frameworks that
harmonise micro-credentials issued
by various educational institutions
to enable the transferability of thesecertifications. This would enable the10attainment of digital credentials in amanner that is similar to conventional
paper certificates. Additionally, these
digital credentials could be accumulated
in digital wallets, thereby allowing
individual learners to showcase all they
have learned throughout their lives.
2. Expand internet infrastructure to cover all
regions and areas of a country, with priority
given to remote and islandic areas.
3. Provide free opportunities for digital literacy
skill acquisition, with a focus on marginalised
individuals and those residing in remoteareas. Digital competency encompasses
not only the ability to use digital devices
for information acquisition, but also thecapacity to sift through information for valid
and reliable facts and data.
4. Develop online teaching methodologies
andprovidetraining/retraining
for educators in using digital tools,
including online platforms that promotecollaborative learning opportunities for
programme development and course
delivery. While digital technologies areemphasised,learning
environments
should balance online and face-to-facelearning opportunities.
5. Create new platforms and software, andimprove existing ones so that they facilitate
student-student and student-teacher
interactions better. Educational insitutionsof all levels and modalities should invest to
develop their digital maturity.
Conclusion
The convergence of living, working andlearning has blurred the boundaries between

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Khau Huu Phuoc

these areas, resulting in a seamless integrationof daily life activities. Digital technologies,
particularly the internet, have made it possible
for people to access learning opportunities
anytime, anywhere, and through various modes
and means that suit their individual needs. The
proliferation of educational platforms and tools,
as well as the increasing recognition, validation
and accreditation of learning outcomes, has
opened up new avenues for learners of all
backgrounds. This paradigm shift is evident
in the growing importance and relevance of
non-formal and informal education, which is
gaining momentum in Asia and other parts of
the world. For instance, iTrain Asia, a privatecompany in Asia, has established a digitallearning platform that offers various options
for learners across the region. As of thiswriting, artificial intelligence is emerging as apromising technology that can further enhanceself-directed learning among both adults andyoung learners, enabling them to achieve selfimprovement, self-actualisation and contributeto a sustainable world.

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childrenand youth (OOSCY). https://asean.org/
wp-content/uploads/2016/09/ASEANDeclaration-on-OOSCY_ADOPTED.pdf
Cacioppo, J. T., & Patrick, W. (2008). Loneliness.
Human Nature & Need for Social Connection.
DataPortal. (2022). Digital 2022: Motivations forusing the internet. https://datareportal.
com/reports/digital-2022-motivations-forusing-the-internet
Dewey, J. (1915). Democracy and education. Indian
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Dhawan, S. (2020). Online Learning: A Panacea in theTime of COVID-19 Crisis. Journal of Educational
Technology Systems, 004723952093401.
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Edwards, R. (1997). Changing places. Flexibility,
lifelong learning and a learning society.
Routledge.
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a sense of presence in online teaching. Howto ‘be there’ for distance learners. JosseyBass.
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Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 13 – 27 (2023)

Technology and Values-Driven Transformationin Educationwww.seameo.org

Arising Significance of the SEA-Teacher Pilot Programme 2 on JapanRelated Participants: Challenges and Collaborations Among MulticulturalPeers
Nao Ishihara1, Masami Isoda2 and Nakao Nomura3
Bureau of Global Initiatives, University of Tsukuba, Japan
Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan
3
Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan
1
2*Corresponding Author
Nao Ishihara
Email: criced@un.tsukuba.ac.jp

ABSTRACTWith the rising necessity of fostering global human resources in Japan, this study

Co-Author(s):Author 2: Masami Isoda

tries to investigate the significance of the SEA-Teacher programme pilot batch-2

Author 3: Nakao Nomura

and ‘best episodes’ of the participants dispatched from Japan, as well as the Japan-

with a special focus on the Japan-related participants. The challenges, collaborations
inbound Thai, Indonesian and Philippino, participants were analysed througha narrative approach. Findings suggest that the challenges arose from the gap
between their norm in their home country and that of the dispatched country, andby reconsidering what they had always taken for granted, participants had overcome
those challenges through collaborations with peers. The mixture of three different
nationalities enriched their collaboration. A closer look into the participants’ ‘best
episode’ suggests that the programme had a holistic impact on the participants,
fostering their openmindedness and flexibility. In conclusion, multicultural
collaborations during the SEA-Teacher pilot programme have played an importantrole in fostering the global competency of the Japan-related participants.

Keywords: Challenges, collaborations, global competency, Japan, SEA-teacher pilot programme

Introduction‘Revitalising Teacher Education’ has been oneof the seven priority areas in order to improve
the quality of education in Southeast Asia. The
Southeast Asia Teacher Competency Framework(SEA-TCF) sets the standards of performance

among teachers across Southeast Asia (TheTeacher’s Council of Thailand, 2018; SEAMEOINNOTECH. 2010). Pre-Service Student Teacher
Exchange in Southeast Asia (SEA-Teacher
Project), which aims to provide opportunities for

Published by SEAMEO Organization, ISSN 1513-4601 | Editorial Office: SEAMEO Secretariat, 920 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok, Thailand.
Tel: (+662) 3910144 | Fax: (+662) 3812587 | E-mail: secretariat@seameo.org This article is under CC BY-SA License.

SEA-Teacher Program Impact: Challenges and Collaborations

pre-service student teachers from universities
in Southeast Asia to gain teaching experiencesin other Southeast Asian schools, has been
implemented since 2016. Eight batches had
already been implemented by 2023, and the
University of Tsukuba in Japan, an affiliate
member of SEAMEO, participated in the pilot
batch of this programme in 2019, followed by thesecond batch in 2023. The pilot batch is uniquein the sense that it is a multi-lateral programme,
not bi-lateral, involving four different countries
simultaneously. It is also unique in the sensethat it includes a country from outside the
SEAMEO region. The results of the pilot batchin the Japanese context need to be analysed inorder to assess the possibility of expanding the
SEA-Teacher programme in Japan. This study
will focus on the second batch and investigate
the impact of the pilot programme. Following
is the basic information about the pilot batch-2
implemented in 2023:

1. Participating Universities (multi-lateralprogramme): Universitas Pendidikan
Indonesia (UPI), Indonesia; Central Luzon
State University (CLSU), Philippines; Khon
Kaen University (KKU), Thailand; The
University of Tsukuba (UT), Japan
2. Duration: One month (from 2 February
2023 to 6 March 2023)
3. Number of Students and Subject Allocation
Ensuring teacher quality is one of the global
issues, and Japan is not an exception. The
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Scienceand Technology (MEXT) advocates the necessityof fostering teachers with global perspectives.
Under such a context, this study aims toinvestigate the significance of the SEA-Teacher
pilot programme in the context of Japan as ahost country as well as the home country. Thus,
the following literature review will first focus onfinding out the common challenges and impacts

Figure 1. Number of Students and Subject Allocation for SEA-Teacher Pilot Batch-2 in 2023.
Source: Author

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NaoIshihara, Masami Isoda and Nakao Nomura

that the SEA-Teacher participants face within
the SEAMEO region. The second point of view is
to search the teacher training policies in Japanto find out the teacher qualities and abilities
that will be particularly demanded in the global
world.
Literature Review
Challenges and Impacts of the SEA-Teacher
Programme in the SEAMEO Region
Various research has explored the challenges
and impacts of the SEA-Teacher programmewithin the SEAMEO region. According to Urai
Musa and Ariyanti (2020), Hendra et al. (2019)
and Ima and Kewwalee (2019), language
barriers, religious sensitivity and differences intheir life styles in the host country are found tobe the most prominent challenges for the SEATeacher participants. In addition, Sujadi (2019)
points out that teaching-related issues were themain challenges in implementing a lesson in adifferent country. Other studies have focusedon what students have obtained through theprogramme. Lalu et al. (2020) observed the selfreflection of the Indonesian pre-service teachersand concluded that cultural understanding,
English as an international communication tool,
mutual respect and self-confidence were thevalues that the participants obtained throughtheir experiences. Moreover, Venna andAchmad (2021) pointed out that interculturalawareness is critical for communication andthat acknowledging and comprehending theirown culture and identity is essential in terms ofunderstanding those of others.
As for the pilot programme in 2019, which
included Japan as a participant country for the

first time, Tatemoto (2020), as a host schoolof this pilot batch, points out that the SEATeacher programme would not only be an
educational practice training programme but
also an international experience for both thehost and the home school, and that possibilities
for further collaborations among Japanese
universities need to be explored.
Although previous research has revealed thecommon challenges and impacts of the SEATeacher Programme in the SEAMEO region,
there has been no study regarding these aspects
focusing on the Japanese pilot batch. Thus,
focusing on the Japan-related participants inthe pilot batch would play an important role inseeking out the possibility of further expansionof the SEA-Teacher programme in the context ofJapan.
The Necessity of Fostering Global Human
Resource in JapanThe necessity of fostering a global citizen
has been one of the most common issues allover the world, and Japan is not an exception.
MEXT defines three elements of global
human resources as follows: language andcommunication skills; initiative, positivity,
challenging spirit, cooperativeness, flexibility
and sense of responsibility and mission; and theunderstanding of other cultures and Japanese
identity (MEXT, 2012). These are in line with
the idea of global competency proposed by
the OECD. Fostering effective communicators
who are open to people from different cultural
backgrounds through developing culturalawareness and respectful interactions inincreasingly diverse societies is necessary in the

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SEA-Teacher Program Impact: Challenges and Collaborations

global world (OECD, 2018). The idea of student
agency, which is defined as the capacity to set a
goal, reflect and act responsibly to effect change,
is supported by MEXT, and currently, teacher
agency is one of the global issues. According to
MEXT, the basic principles and perspectives ofinternational education include ‘understanding
what is different’, ‘acceptance of diversity’ and‘coexistence’ and that deepening teachers’
awareness of these issues at the teacher training
stage is necessary (MEXT, 2018).
In 2023, the Cabinet Secretariat has set thenational vision for the mobility of international
students as well as Japanese students’ goingabroad. In their policy J-MIRAI, it is notedthat by 2033, they aim to almost double thenumber of dispatched Japanese students andthe accepted and retained foreign students.
Moreover, in addition to the quantityoriented perspective, Japan will also focus on
improving the quality of such programmes(Cabinet Secretariat, 2023). Promoting theinternationalisation of education throughthe creation of an educational and research
environment where people with diverse cultural
backgrounds and values can come together andunderstand each other is necessary. Taking into
account fact that SEA-Teacher programme is amulti-lateral programme, with the educational
purpose of conducting teaching practice in the
dispatched country, this study aims to assess thesignificance of the SEA-Teacher pilot programmein the Japanese context.
Research Questions and Methodology
Based on the previous research, this study
will investigate the four research questions asfollows:

16

1. Were language barriers, religion-related
issues, differences in lifestyle and teachingpractice-related issues also faced by theJapan-related participants of the SEATeacher 2023 pilot batch-2?
2. What were the objects of collaborations
made by the Japan-related participants of
the SEA-Teacher 2023 pilot batch-2? What
impact did such collaborations have on
the participants?
3. What are the best episodes of the Japanrelated participants in the SEA-Teacher
2023 pilot batch-2?
4. What were the impacts of the programme
in terms of fostering the global competencyof the participants?
As for the methodology, MonkeyLearn,
which is an AI platform that incorporates
machine learning to automate text analysis,
will be used to first view the overall tendency
for all the participants through keyword
extraction of the 38 participants’ self-reflection
report. In addition, the narrative approach,which emphasises wholeness in understanding
the participant, including their subjectivity, isused for the answers of the nine Japan-boundparticipants and six participants who weredispatched from Japan.
Findings from Data: Challenges
In relation to the first research question, theparticipants were asked the question: ‘What
were the challenges you have faced during yourstay and how did you try to solve them?’ Asshown in Figure 2, among the 38 participants, themost frequently mentioned keyword regarding
this question was ‘student teacher’, followedby ‘language’ and ‘culture’. The word ‘student

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NaoIshihara, Masami Isoda and Nakao Nomura

Figure 2. Frequently Used Words of 38 Participants Regarding Their Challenges.

was language’, and this was pointed out by
six out of nine Japan-bound participants. As
student A points out that ‘many students andteachers need help understanding English’,communication using English was not easy
between students and teachers in the Japaneseclassrooms. Without sufficient language use,
A notes, ‘it was pretty difficult for us to build
bonds and communicate’.

Figure 3. Japan-Bound Thai Participant Using Visual
Information to Support Her Explanation in English.

teacher’ was used by the participants in thecontext of gaining solutions to their challenges.
They had asked for advice from the peer student
teachers when they faced challenges.
The literature showed that language barriers,
religion-related issues, differences in lifestyleand teaching practice-related issues were theprominent challenges faced by the participantsin the SEAMEO region. Were challenges also
faced by the Japan-related participants?
Language Barrier
In line with the previous findings, one of thebiggest challenges mentioned by the Japanbound participants was the language barrier.
Japan-bound Indonesian student A notesthat ‘one of the biggest challenges I faced

However, in many cases, participants have
tried to find a way to overcome the language
barrier through their ingenuity. According toIndonesian student A, ‘I tried to learn easy
Japanese vocabulary, and we often used
Google Translate to communicate’. In anothercase, the Thai-bound Japanese student B ‘washesitant to communicate with them because of
the difference in language’ at first. However, B
learned from the peer participant from Japan,
as she notes
I saw my friend who went to Khon Kaen
University from the University of Tsukuba
with me enjoying conversation with Thai
people by repeating their words andasking their meanings and by using theatmosphere of the language, even though
she did not understand their language.
and adopted the method for better
communication by trying to ‘memorize frequently
used words and phrases in class so that I could atleast understand the content of the class’.

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SEA-Teacher Program Impact: Challenges and Collaborations

Effective use of non-verbal materials wasanother solution to their language barrier issue.
Figure 3 shows that the student teacher in the
middle, holding the PC, is explaining using English
with the support of visual material.
Religion-Related Issues
Religion-related challenges were found,especially among the Japan-bound Indonesianstudents. Japan-bound Indonesian student C
notes that ‘it was hard to find food that does notcontain alcohol and pork’. She has overcome thisissue of food by cooking by herself in the kitchenof the dormitory and asking the Japanese staff
about the ingredients, but still, she notes thateven if she ‘tried to cook by myself, many
ingredients still contain alcohol and pork,
like sauces, noodles, frozen foods, jams andbreads. The safest food I could eat is eggs andvegetables’. All three Japan-bound Indonesianstudents have pointed out this issue.
One Japanese participant D, who stayed in
the Phillipines and had four Indonesian students
and two Thai students as peers, reflects on
her encounter with the difference of religion
as an acquisition of a new perspective rather
than as a challenge. She notes, ‘It was the firsttime I thought about the religious difference. I
learned about cultural and religious differences
and the importance of being considerate’, whichshows that this incident was a first cross-culturalexperience related to religion for her.
Differences in Lifestyle
Changes in daily life situations were also
seen among the Japan-related participants.
One of the unique challenges only seen among

18

Figure 4. First Expereience of Snow for the Participantsfrom Southeast Asia.

the Japan-bound students was the difference
in climate. Japan-bound Indonesian student C
notes: ‘The weather in Japan is different fromthat in my home country, so even when we useda heater, I often trembled in class. I already wore
some layers of clothes, but still, it was not easy
to adapt to the cold weather’. Figure 4 showsthat the participants from Southeast Asia are
excited about their first experience of snow.
They are wearing thick down coats, which theyusually don’t need in their country. It showsthat the participants have experienced a huge
gap of climate compared to their own country.
As for the Japanese participants, althoughclimate was not mentioned as a challenge, thedifference in food and the sanitation system
was a challenge. Indonesia-bound Japanese
student E notes: ‘The meals were limited to few
vegetables and salads, and as I cannot eat spicy
food, I was naturally limited in what I could eat.
There were many delicious dishes, but I feltthat my intestinal condition was not so good
throughout my stay’, showing that student E
went through a cross-cultural experience in

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NaoIshihara, Masami Isoda and Nakao Nomura

terms of food, which is one of the basics in dailylife.
In the case of Thai-bound Japanese student
B, her challenge was related to the toilet. She
notes thatthe most shocking thing to me as soon as
I arrived in Thailand was the differencesin toilets and showers. No toilet paper iscommonplace, and in some places you
have to fetch your own water to flush thetoilet, and showers with no hot water.
When I saw these two things, I felt like I
couldn’t do it. However, thanks to thestudents who came with me from Japan,
we were able to share the hardship andget through it by laughing and covering itup.
The comment of student B clearly shows
the process of encountering the difference,struggling and overcoming it through adaptationof her way of thinking.
Teaching Practice-Related Issues
An outstanding factor that was commonly
found among the Japanese participants was
the teaching practice, which could be causedby the differences in the curriculum of theteaching subject. Indonesia-bound Japanese
student F notes that ‘it was difficult to teachwhat I had never studied before because thecontents of social studies in Indonesia andJapan were different’. Student F was dispatched
to Indonesia to conduct his teaching practice insocial studies class and had to teach about themechanism, advantages and disadvantages offire. However, such an aspect of ‘fire’ is taught
in Japan in science subjects, not social studies

subjects. Thus, he ‘had to start by learning about
the volcano before making a lesson plan’, andhe ‘struggled with this’. Interestingly, after facing
this challenge, he had revised the teaching plan
drastically.
I deciced to utilize the video clips andimages. We switched to a style in which
students watch videos and images
together and learn together. We discussed
the similarities and differences with thestudents. The students and teachers wereable to think together about similarities
and differences, and the whole class wasable to discuss them.
Here, student F has adopted a new teaching
method where he can learn together with thestudents. A similar comment was found among
all the Japanese participants, and many ofthem had overcome this challenge throughcollaboration with the other participants fromdifferent countries.
As for the Japan-bound students, five out ofnine participants mentioned issues regarding
their teaching practice. Japan-bound Phillipino
student G’s challenge was the difference in theclass schedule. She notes that
the UTSS class timetable differs
significantly from the class schedule in thePhilippines. I distinguished between thetwo schedules, stated that classes in thePhilippines last one hour per subject, 15
minutes for a health break, and one hourfor lunch, but classes in Japan lasted 45
minutes per subject and 45 minutes fora lunch break. I had a hard time to adapt
the class schedules in UTSS, because I wasused to the Filipino class timetable.

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SEA-Teacher Program Impact: Challenges and Collaborations

Her comment shows that that what she hadtaken for granted about the timetable in herhome country was the cause of the challenge.
Interestingly, many of the participantsreflected their challenges as positive
opportunities and adapted themselves to the
local situation through their ingenuity. For
example, Japan-bound Indonesian student
C reflected that ‘adaptive skill is the mostimportant skill that needs to be developed’ inorder to overcome the challenges. They ‘got toadapt quickly to the school system, the basic
norm in daily life, and the different weather’.
Phillipine-bound Japanese student I first points
out that ‘it was very difficult to learn in a shortperiod of one month and to research and createteaching plans, teaching materials, and teachingtools’. However, he concludes that ‘although it
was very difficult, it was a good experience thatwas very fresh and gave me a lot to learn’.
As shown in their comments, challenges were
not regarded as a negative event but as a chance
to widen the participants’ way of thinking.
Findings from Data: Collaborations
In relation to the second research question tofind out the object of collaboration, participants
were asked to describe their experience ofcollaboration.
As shown in Figure 5, concrete ways toillustrate the way of collaboration, such as‘activity’, ‘idea’, ‘knowledge’ and ‘suggestion’are frequently used to describe theircollaboration. As we focus on the Japan-relatedparticipants, the object of the collaborations
can be categorised into two perspectives:
collaborations related to their teaching practiceand collaborations related to their daily lives.
Collaboration About the Teaching Practice
A Phillipine-bound Japanese student I notesthat he ‘had many opportunities to collaborate
not only with fellow trainees from Japan but
also with trainees from Indonesia and Thailand
in practical training at USHS (University Science
High School) and in our daily lives’. He was
assigned to teach a 9th grade English class withan Indonesian trainee. student I reflects thisexperience as follows:
We shared our different educational
experiences and backgrounds, and in
deciding on teaching plans and practices.
We shared what kind of English classes
we had taken and what kind of teachingmaterials and equipment we had used inour classes. We were able to have in-depth
discussions about how we can improve
our classes and how we can develop
instruction that is more in line with ourstudents. Through this experience, eventrainees with different backgrounds could
share the same goal of ‘providing a better
education’, ‘deepening students’ learning’

Figure 5. Frequently Used Words of 38 Participants Regarding Their Challenges.

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NaoIshihara, Masami Isoda and Nakao Nomura

Figure 6. Team Teaching Class in UTSS, Japan.

and ‘developing a better teaching style. ‘Iwant to deepen students’ learning. This
experience taught us that even though
we have different backgrounds, we canpractice better teaching by sharing thesame goals, such as ‘to provide better
education’ and ‘to deepen students’learning’, and by learning from each other.
As student I notes, the first step was toexchange ‘what I know’ based on his educational
experience in their home country. The next
step was to know the peer participant’s’ ‘what
he knows’, based on the different educational
experiences in the peer participant’s country.
Such an encounter with the difference turned
out to be an eye-opening experience for bothof the participants. In the case of student I, thefact that they had to conduct team teaching
together inevitably created opportunities forboth participants to discuss their teachingpractice-related issues.
Collaboration through team teaching was
also found in the school in Japan. In Figure 6,
two participants from the Philippines are
conducting a science team teaching class. After
this lesson, they first reflected on how the lesson
went between themselves and their mentor,

then shared ideas with the Thai and Indonesianparticipants for further improvement at dinnertime. Such feedback took place daily. Japanbound Thai student H notes that it becamea habit to ‘share the plans in a day and havediscussion when someone finished the class’
and that she ‘collaborated with them throughthe preparation, like writing a lesson plan andpracticing the plan’. First, she discussed withher Indonesian colleague the personalities ofthe HR class students. Then, she compared theircharacteristics with those of her own HR classstudents in order to write an appropriate lesson
plan. She then ‘used a board in her dormitory
to practice in front of her Filipino friend. Next,
student S (Phillipino) came to me and saw mypractice; after that, he gave me some advice on
what to concern and what to adapt’. Here, we canobserve multicultural collaboration among theparticipants. Student H concludes that ‘knowing
each other’s styles of teaching and preparation
had pushed up’ her to put more effort into her
students, and also to create a better lesson
plan. In addition, student H’s reflection showsthat collaboration occurred in various phases,
including preparation, actual practice, and postclass feedback.
Figure 7 shows a similar situation in thePhilippines. A Japanese participant had justfinished her class, and the Indonesian participant
and Thai participant are giving feedback to herclass. Such collaborations could be found among
all of the Japan-related participants.
In the case of Japanese student F, who stayedin Indonesia, he encountered a difference inteaching method as follows:(In Indonesia,) the teachers themselves
created their own teaching materials

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SEA-Teacher Program Impact: Challenges and Collaborations

Figure 7. Feedback from the Peer Participants After theClass.

(specifically, they made videos) andthought of their own games that suitedthe contents of the classes, without relying
on the contents of the textbooks. This is amethod of teaching that cannot be foundin Japanese schools.
The encounter with a different methodology
was experienced more or less by all six
Japanese participants. The language used forcommunication was English, which was oneof the challenges found among the Japaneseparticipants, but the fact that they were in asituation where they had to communicate inEnglish, which is not the case in daily Japaneselife, has pushed them to discuss educational
matters in English.
Collaboration in Daily Lives
As Japan-bound Indonesian student A notes,‘collaboration is not a collaboration that results

22

in an official project. However, our collaboration
is how we can survive, strengthen and support
each other while in Japan’. This comment
shows that collaboration took place not only
in official contexts but also in a private context
or during inofficial settings such as dinner timeor in the kitchen of the dormitory. Also, as
student A continues to say that she ‘exchanged
stories and learned about the culture of ourrespective countries’, the object of collaboration
was not limited to teaching-related issues.
Such collaboration is reflected by student A
as ‘collaboration like that can strengthen our
relationship’. Student A concludes that she‘learned a lot from other SEA-Teacher friends
about respecting other people with different
backgrounds and cultures’. Her comment showsthat spending time with the peers led to mutual
understanding and respect for the different
cultures.
Similarly, Japan-bound Thai student H notesthat they had ‘spent time together both day andnight, including free times and holidays’ and that
she had ‘learned how to be more responsible
and respectful with people who live in thesame place, especially, they were from different
countries with different cultures and lifestyle’.
To support her idea, she gives the episode ofreligious difference as follows:
For example, people from Indonesia are
Muslim, they must pray 5 times a day andthey don’t eat pork, so when we cooked
together or hung out, we must concern
about their pray time and their dietconditions as normal even we don’t have to.
Again, the encounter with the difference
has made them realise something new and has

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NaoIshihara, Masami Isoda and Nakao Nomura

Figure 8. Frequently Used Words of 38 Participants Regarding Their Best Episodes.

made them reconsider their own norm andculture.
Findings from Data: ‘My Best Episode’
In relation to the third research question,
participants were asked to choose their best
episode.
As Figure 8 shows, among the 38 participants,
the most frequently used keyword was ‘SEATeachers’, and a closer look into the usage ofthis word showed that the word refers to thecollaboration between the peer participants inofficial or inofficial settings. Also, the keyword‘family’ in their answers referred to the SEATeacher colleagues to describe the relationshipamong them.
When we focus on the Japan-bound and theJapanese participants, seven out of nine Japanbound participants have pointed out that theirview of the world has changed through theprogramme, not only in terms of education but
also in terms of understanding other cultures
and ways of thinking.
Japan-bound Thai student J notes:
to see the world in a wider perspective
was life-changing for me. I was able to see
education in a different setting and realizedthat indeed, the world is big and diverse.
I was exposed to a different classroom
setting, with students of different culture.

Figure 9. First Experience of Japanese Kotatsu.

As a result, I learned other teachingstrategies, methods and concepts that can
all be utilized in my future teachings.
Her comment indicates that her viewof education has broadened through theprogramme. Moreover, not only in terms ofteaching-related matters, J notes:
meeting friends with different nationalities
and cultures and discovering and learning
things together allowed me to grow andbuild relationships that bear respect andunderstanding. Socializing with fellow SEATeachers through random gatherings suchas dinners, vacant class hours, and goingto and going home from school has been
beneficial in building a team of aspirants,
regardless of diverse cultural backgrounds.

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SEA-Teacher Program Impact: Challenges and Collaborations

Similarly, in the case of Phillipine-boundJapanese student I, he emphasises the valueof his experience since ‘in a country where
education and educational systems are very
different from those in your own country, youwill learn, discover and realise things that you
can only obtain by actually experiencing andpracticing the differences firsthand’. Student I
further notes that the programme was a ‘great
opportunity to broaden our perspective not only
as a teacher but also as a person, as you interact
with many people at the training school and inyour daily life’. The comments of Students J andI show that the programme had a holistic impact
on the participants.
Japan-bound Indonesian student K chose theUme Matsuri Festival as her best episode. Figure
9 shows the first experience of kotatusu in cold
weather. Since it was a cold day, the encounter
with this Japanese kotatsu was a memorable
event for her.
Interestingly, all Japan-related participants
included ‘bond’ or ‘friendship’ as keywords todescribe their best episodes. One Japanese
student who got sick in the destination notesthat the peers acted in a troublesome situation
as heartwarming and that he could overcome
the sickness with the support of the peers. This
Indonesia-bound Japanese student E wrote
about his experience as follows:
One of the most memorable moments
for me was when I got a little sick. I had
a slight fever and had a chronic earache,which forced me to miss the class and to
rest. Then, a Sea-Teacher member who
had finished class came all the way to
my room and asked me if I was okay, if I

24

needed any medicine, and if I needed toget something to eat or drink. Even though
we had only been together for a few weeks,
I have great respect for the members who
can say such kind words to me. I also
thought that having such an experience ina foreign country is something I would liketo cherish in my life.
Although sickness was a negative experiencefor him, the heartfelt relationship among theother participants has changed this to his best
memory.
In the case of Japan-bound Phillipino
student G, she describes that ‘CLSU, KKU, and
UPI participants are truly like family. The SEA
teachers in UTSS during this batch are supportive,
sweet, compassionate, helpful, competent, andeasy to get along’. Similarly, half of the Japanbound participants have used the term ‘family’
to express their relationship between the peer
participants, showing the close bond among
them. In the case of Japan-bound Thai studentJ, her best memory was related to ‘people’, as
she notes that ‘what impact me the most is
the relationship bonding with everyone in the
program. My best episode was the memory
whether it was play time or work time. The
programme wouldn’t be as good as it is without
the people behind it’. These comments showthat the positive relationships among peers
were the basis of their best episodes.
Discussion and Conclusion
In the findings, we have analysed theanswers to each of the research questions.
In the discussion session, we will focus on thesignificant findings in the context of Japan.

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 13 – 27 (2023)

NaoIshihara, Masami Isoda and Nakao Nomura

As defined as the first element of global
human resources by MEXT, this programme had
impacted the participants to reconsider theirlanguage and communication skills to be able tocope with people with different nationalities andbackgrounds. A closer look into their reflection
revealed that the challenges derived from theencounter were the difference between ‘what
they already know’ and ‘what they take for
granted’. By encountering the gap, participants
were forced to reconsider what has become
normal in their own country and how they are
unique compared to other countries. Especiallyin the case of basic daily issues or habits suchas food or sanitation, since it had become partof their norm without doubt, some participants
had a shocking experience. This encounter is thefirst step in cross-cultural understanding andhas played a role in expanding the participant’sview. This was seen both regarding their daily
habits as well as in their teaching practice.
Such experiences have played a significant rolein terms of the third element of global humanresource mentioned by MEXT, which is theunderstanding of other cultures and Japanese
identity. Through encounters with the unknown,
the participants came to reconsider and how
their country is unique to others. Such culturalawareness is an important factor in fostering
global citizenship.
Secondly, findings show that various
collaborations took place during the
programme. In the case of teaching-related
collaborations, many of them shared theirown national education system as well as theteaching methodology used in their country.
Here again, by facing the gap between ‘what
is normal in their own educational situation’and ‘how it is different in the peer participant’s
educational situation back in their country’,participants were forced to reconsider theirown educational culture and to adjust it. We
can say that such ‘encounter to the difference’was inevitable in the process of multi-national
collaboration. In addition, since the host school
is located in a different country from any of theparticipants, they further needed to take into
account the local situation and adapt what they
could to the limited situation. Here, flexibility toadopt the original plan in an unfamiliar situation
was needed. Such ability is close to one of
the elements mentioned in MEXT’s definitionof global human resources. Moreover, thepilot programme had holistical impact on theparticipants, fostering their openmindedness
and flexibility to different ideas throughcommunication with their multi-cultural peers.
We can conclude that participants in the pilot
batch have acquired the elements mentioned
in the definition of global human resources,
such as initiative, positivity, a challenging
spirit, cooperativeness, flexibility, a sense of
responsibility and a sense of mission.
As we reflect our findings on the current
Japanese teacher training context, which aims tofoster teachers who can play an active role in the
global world, the pilot programme has played
a role in promoting the internationalisationof education through the creation of an
educational and research environment where
people with diverse cultural backgrounds andvalues can come together and understand eachother is necessary. In addition, as the Japanese
government is focusing more on improving
the quality of the programme, SEA-Teacher
programme, which has clear objectives to

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 13 – 27 (2023)

25

SEA-Teacher Program Impact: Challenges and Collaborations

conduct teaching practice in the local schools,
can make participants learn in depth about theeducational topic, which cannot be gained only
through short cultural exchange programmes.
We can conclude that Japanese participants in
the SEA-Teacher pilot programme have faced
challenges in unfamiliar settings, and theirprocess to overcome them through multicultural collaboration had a positive impact on
developing their cultural awareness, which isone of the important factors that a global humanresource defined by MEXT possesses.

Research, pp. 24–26). Atlantis Press.
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology, Japan (MEXT). (2012). Definitionof global human resource. Retrieved 20 April
2023,

from

https://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/shingi/chukyo/chukyo3/047/siryo/
icsFiles/afieldfile/2012/02/14/1316067_01.
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Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Scienceand Technology, Japan (MEXT). (2018).
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and internationalisation: Re-engaging andRetrieved 20 April 2023, from https://

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shotou/026/houkoku/attach/__icsFiles/

cas.go.jp/jp/seisaku/kyouikumirai/dai6/

afieldfile/2018/01/19/1400589_001.pdf

siryou1-1.pdf

OECD. (2018). Prepring our youth for an inclusive

Hendra, R., Mukminin, A., Wulan Tersta, F., Priyanto,and sustainable world: The OECD PISA global

international

competence framework. https://www.oecd.

teaching practicum: Pre-service student

org/education/Global-competency-for-an-

teacher exchange in Southeast Asia (SEA-

inclusive-world.pdf&

Nurhuda.

(2019).

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Teacher)’s cultural and teaching experiences.
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Scientific&

SEAMEO INNOTECH. (2010). Teaching competency
standards in Southeast Asian countries:

Technology Research, 8(10), 190–196.

Eleven country audit. https://www.seameo-

Ima, W., & Kewwalee, K. (2019). A reflective study

innotech.org/portfolio_page/teaching-on SEA teacher practice: From Thailand toIndonesia. Tamansiswainternational Journalin Education and Science, 1(1), 9–14.
Lalu, R. T. S., Lalu, Z., Imam, B., Jannatin, A., Dadi, S.,& Wildan, W. (2020). University of Mataram
in SEA teacher project: Lesson learned from

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competency-standards-in-southeast-asiancountries-eleven-country-audit/
Sujadi, I., Wulandari, A. N., & Kurniawati, I. (2019). Preservice teachers’ perspectives: Pedagogicalchallenges of teaching mathematics on
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students’ perspectives and self-reflection. In

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Tatemoto, Y. (2020) Building international learning

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collaboration among high schools in Japan

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competency

Urai Musa, C., & Ariyanti, A. (2020). SEA-Teacher
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701). Atlantis Press.

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Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 28 – 38 (2023)

Technology and Values-Driven Transformationin Educationwww.seameo.org

SEAMOLEC’s Initiatives on Technology and Values-Driven Transformationin K-12 Education
Wahyudi1 and Aline Almandha2
Centre Director, SEAMEO Regional Open Learning Centre (SEAMOLEC), Jakarta, Indonesia
Community Partnership Marketing and Publication Manager, SEAMOLEC, Jakarta, Indonesia

1
2*Corresponding Author
Wahyudi
Email: wahyudi@seamolec.org
Co-Author(s):Author 2: Aline Almandha
E-mail: aline@seamolec.org

ABSTRACTThis article explores the intersection of technology and values-driven transformation,
especially in K–12 education. It discusses the need for values-driven transformationin education, the connection between technology and values-driven transformation,and the role that technology can play in facilitating this transformation. Good
values are instilled in schools as early as possible and through habituation among
students. This has become part of the teacher’s obligation to integrate these goodvalues through classroom learning. Values-driven transformation in education canbe referred to explicit or implicit. Explicit values education refers to schools’ official
curriculum of what and how to teach values and morality, including teachers’ explicit
intentions and practices of values education. Implicit values education is associatedwith a hidden curriculum and implicit values influence, embedded in school andclassroom practices. Teaching is inevitably a moral activity in which teachers haveto consider the ethical complexity of teaching and the moral impact they have on
their students. The article highlights two initiatives of the SEAMEO Regional Open
Learning Centre that aim to integrate technology into the educational landscapewhile also staying true to the core values of education. The centre believes that oneof the many ways to reach this objective is through the socialisation of digital literacy
skills. The two initiatives include assisting the SEAMEO Secretariat in developing the
Global Digital Literacy Online Course using Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)
in 2019 and providing assistance in the conduct of ASEAN Teachers’ Online Mediaand Information Literacy Bootcamp in 2023. Both initiatives are targeted at teachers
because they are the drivers of education, and equipping them with the necessary
skills and knowledge is crucial for providing students with a quality education that
prepares them for the challenges of the future. This article also analyses the impact
and future directions of technology and value-driven transformation in educational
contexts that are both far-reaching and evolving. Overall, the paper argues that byembracing technology in a values-driven way, educators can better prepare students

Published by SEAMEO Organization, ISSN 1513-4601 | Editorial Office: SEAMEO Secretariat, 920 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok, Thailand.
Tel: (+662) 3910144 | Fax: (+662) 3812587 | E-mail: secretariat@seameo.org This article is under CC BY-SA License.

Wahyudi and Aline Almandha

for the challenges of the future and equip them with the skills to be responsible andethical citizens. The skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Keywords: Education, technology, digital literacy, media information literacy

Introduction
The rise of Industry 4.0 and globalisation has
affected and even transformed things in almost
every area of the digital age (Alpaydin, 2016).
These rapid changes and transformations in
the world affect education both as a structure
and as a learning environment. One of thesevalues has been the digital transformation(Brynjolfsson & McAfee, 2014). With theincreasing use of technology in everyday andlearning environments, most students are now
born into a digital world.
In many ways, technology has profoundlychanged education; it has greatly helped expand
access to education (OECD, 2015). In the past,
students had to travel to centres of learning
to get an education. Nowadays, a massive
amount of information through books, videos,
audios and images is at their fingertips throughtechnology.
Technology has also begun to change theroles of teachers and students (Johnson etal., 2015). In the past, the teacher was theprimary source of information, and the learners
passively received it. However, because of
the access to information and educational
opportunities that technology has enabled, inmany classrooms today, we see the teacher’srole shifting to being the learning facilitator as
students take more responsibility for their own
learning using technology to gather relevant
information.

Technology can play a significant role intransforming K–12 education by providing new
and innovative ways for students to learn andfor teachers to teach (Voogt & Knezek, 2018).
For example, online resources and educational
software can provide students with personalised
learning experiences and allow them to workat their own pace. Additionally, technology
can facilitate collaboration and communication
between students and teachers, regardless ofgeographic location.
However, while technology can be a powerfultool for education, it is important to ensure that
it is used in a way that aligns with the values
and goals of the education system (National
Education Association, 2020). This may include
considerations such as equity and accessibility,
as well as the protection of student data
privacy. Additionally, it is important to ensurethat technology is not used as a replacement
for human interaction and connection in theclassroom.
Quoting from Ledbury Primary School (n.d.),‘Values-based Education’ is an approach toteaching that works with values. It creates astrong learning environment that enhances
academic achievement and develops students’social and relationship skills that last throughout
their lives. Linking it with the use of technology
in education, we have the term digital literacy,
which can be one of the most effective ways topromote values-based education.

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SEAMOLEC’s Initiatives in K-12 Education Transformation

30

Digital literacy is the awareness, attitudes andabilities of individuals to identify, access and use
digital tools and resources appropriately. It also
encompasses the entire process of managing,
integrating, evaluating and analysing digital
resources, creating new knowledge, creating
media expressions, enabling constructive social
action and communicating with others (Gilster,
1997; Martin, 2008; Rheingold, 2010). In thistechnological era, the transfer of education todigital environments and distance education
across the world have revealed the necessity ofdigital literacy.

of learning. By using gamification, technology
can help students develop a sense of resilienceand perseverance (Mekler et al., 2017).

In ASEAN, the use of technology in K–12
education is growing rapidly. A recent survey
by the SEAMEO Secretariat (2022) found that
90% of respondents said that they were using
technology in their classrooms, and 70% said
that they were using it to a significant extent.
The most common uses of technology in K–12
education in ASEAN include providing accessto information and resources, facilitating
communication and collaboration, personalisinglearning, assessment and gamification.

SEAMEO Regional Open Learning Centre(SEAMOLEC) is one of the 26 centres under the
auspices of the Southeast Asian Ministers of
Education Organization (SEAMEO), focusing on
the field of open and distance learning (ODL).
It envisions being the centre of expertise in
ODL, with a mission to assist SEAMEO member
countries in identifying educational problems
and finding alternative solutions for sustainablehuman resource development through thedissemination and effective use of ODL.

The use of technology in K–12 education in
ASEAN also has the potential to transform thevalues that students learn. By providing accessto information and resources, technology canhelp students develop a critical thinking andproblem-solving mindset (TechNavio, 2016). By
facilitating communication and collaboration,technology can help students to develop a senseof community and cooperation (Greenhow& Lewin, 2015). By personalising learning,technology can help students develop a senseof self-efficacy and agency (Hashim et al., 2022).
By using assessment, technology can help
students develop a growth mindset and a love

Owing to various programmes that becomeits core tasks, like trainings, consultancies,
research and development and information
dissemination, SEAMOLEC is assisting the
SEAMEO Member Countries to find alternative
solutions to enhance the quality of their people
through ODL. As cited from its official website,www.seamolec.org/seamolec, the goal of
SEAMOLEC is to undertake relevant programmesthat are responsive to current national andregional needs through the utilisation of the
ODL system.

In short, the use of technology in K–12
education in ASEAN has the potential totransform the way that students learn and thevalues that they learn. By using technology
wisely, educators can help students become
lifelong learners who are prepared to succeed in
the 21st century.
Overview of SEAMEO SEAMOLECSEAMOLEC has made efforts through nationaland regional programmes to support teachers

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 28 – 38 (2023)

Wahyudi and Aline Almandha

and educators in Southeast Asia and beyond.
In the year 2022 alone, SEAMOLEC has trained
more than 6,000 teachers in the Southeast Asia
region through more than 70 training sessions.
The most wanted topic of the training is the focus
on the current technology to be integrated into
learning activities, such as augmented reality(AR), virtual reality (VR), extended reality (XR),
the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence(AI), robotics and many more. The centre has
also developed six ODL models within theyear and established cooperation with 20 new
partner institutions (SEAMOLEC, 2022). Throughcollaboration with its partners and network, thecentre wishes to expand the positive impacts of
its programmes.
SEAMOLEC’s Initiatives on Technology andValues-Driven Transformation
SEAMOLEC, in collaboration with its potential
partners and networks, develop initiatives tobuild the digital literacy of teachers in Southeast
Asia. Why teachers? We believe that before
motivating students to use technology, teachers
should learn and practice using it with full
responsibility. This is also in line with SEAMEO
7 Priority Areas no. 5: Revitalising Teachers’
Education.
While both teachers and students play
important roles in the education process,targeting teachers is essential because they
are the ones who facilitate learning and guidestudents in their academic journey (DarlingHammond & Rothman, 2011). Teachers are
responsible for designing and implementing
educational programmes, creating classroom
environments that support learning andassessing student progress. Therefore, they havea significant impact on the quality of educationthat students receive.
Targeting teachers with digital literacy is
crucial because it enables them to effectively
integrate technology into their teaching
methods and create a learning environment thataligns with the core values of education (Harris& Hofer, 2011). Teachers need to understandthe impact of technology on education, thechallenges and opportunities it presents, andhow to use it effectively to enhance student
learning outcomes (Koehler & Mishra, 2009).
Additionally, teachers also play a critical role inmodelling values such as empathy, collaborationand ethical behaviour, which are important ina values-driven education system (UNESCO,2013).
Students are proficient in using the internet,
but teachers need to inform them of theappropriate digital knowledge to ensure they areusing technology in a proper manner and safely
for their positive character building. Therefore,
SEAMOLEC decided to take part in two initiatives
aimed at developing teachers’ digital literacy:
1. Assisting
SEAMEO
Secretariat
indeveloping ‘Global Digital Literacy Online
Course’ using Massive Open Online Course(MOOC) in 2019 and
2. Assisting the conduct of the ‘ASEAN
Teachers’ Online Media and Information
Literacy (MIL) Bootcamp’ in 2023.
Global Digital Literacy Online Course
This is the SEAMEO Secretariat’s project in
2019, supported by UNESCO Headquarters andthe Weidong Cloud Education Group in China.

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SEAMOLEC’s Initiatives in K-12 Education Transformation

Picture 1. SEAMOLEC in Charge of Developing Module About Digital Security.

It is committed to leveraging the capacity ofSoutheast Asian human resources to understandthe norms of appropriate, responsible behaviour
with regards to technology use. The project wasdeveloped in collaboration with various partners
and SEAMEO Centres, including SEAMOLEC.
SEAMOLEC provided the development of the
MOOC platform.
This course is aligned with the SEAMEO
Priority Areas particularly No. 7: Adopting a 21stCentury Curriculum. This online course is also acomprehension of the nine elements of digitalcitizenship that will make technology safer andmore helpful for everyone. The elements are (a)Digital Health and Wellness, (b) Digital Security,(c) Digital Rights and Responsibilities, (e) Digital
Literacy, (f) Digital Law, (g) Digital Access, (h)Digital Commerce, (i) Digital Communication and(j) Digital Etiquette. SEAMOLEC was in charge formodule 2: Digital Security.
The course was attended by around 200
participants, who are mostly educators andcame from Cambodia, Canada, Germany, India,
Indonesia, Libya, Malaysia, Myanmar, thePhilippines, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Vietnam.

32

Visit this link, http://seamooc.seameo.org, toview the online course and all materials in moredetail.
ASEAN Teachers’ Online MIL Bootcamp
ASEAN Teachers’ Online MIL Bootcamp
supports UNESCO’s goal to ensure that all
citizens have access to media and informationcompetencies. This programme aims totrain and deepen the understanding of theimportance of MIL in a fast-moving digital
media landscape among teachers and teacher
educators from five Southeast Asian countries:
Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines
and Thailand. As cited from UNESCO’s website,
MIL is a complex concept which covers allcompetencies related to information literacy
and media literacy that also include digital or
technological literacy. It focuses on different andintersecting competencies to transform people’sinteraction with information and learning
environments online and offline.
MIL is considered the essential ability toaccess, analyse, evaluate and communicate
information in a variety of formats and platforms,

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 28 – 38 (2023)

Wahyudi and Aline Almandha

Picture 2. Participants Breakdown of the Bootcamp.

including traditional and digital media. It
involves understanding how information is
produced, disseminated and consumed, as wellas the potential biases and inaccuracies that
may exist in various sources. It also includes
the ability to critically evaluate and use theinformation to solve problems, make decisions
and communicate effectively.
MIL is expected to empower individuals
to be active and responsible in using global
information effectively and ethically. This isimportant, especially for teachers across theworld who will be the ones spreading knowledge
to students.

Within this idea, the alumni of the U.S.
Department of State—supported by the U.S.
Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in
Kuala Lumpur—initiated a three-day virtualbootcamp on February 8–10, 2023. The bootcamp
aimed to train hundreds of teachers and teacher
educators from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia,
the Philippines and Thailand about MIL. There
were a total of 109 participants selected fromall five Southeast Asian countries to participate
in this exciting bootcamp.
SEAMOLEC was involved in the programme
as a collaborative partner in recruiting
teachers to apply to the bootcamp. Throughthe dissemination of social media postings,

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 28 – 38 (2023)

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SEAMOLEC’s Initiatives in K-12 Education Transformation

Figure 3. Happy Participants of the Bootcamp.

Figure 4. Indonesian Participant Joined the Bootcamp from School’s Computer Lab.

34

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 28 – 38 (2023)

Wahyudi and Aline Almandha

Figure 5. Thai Teachers Participated in the Bootcamp
Together.

SEAMOLEC invited teachers and education
personnel to participate.
At the end of each day of bootcamp,
participants were encouraged to do some tasks,
including their opinions on the collaborative
board called Insight Gallery using the Google
Jamboard platform and developing theirindividual action plans based on the UNESCO
competency in MIL. The action plans were
expected to be implemented within threemonths after the bootcamp. However,participants are allowed to create action plansfor beyond that time as well. Not only individual
action plan, but participants were also groupedbased on country on the last day. They wereassigned to create action plans that are feasible
and contextualised for implementation in theirrespective countries.
Visit this link https://aseanmil.org/aseanteachers-virtual-bootcamp-2023/ to accessmore information related to the bootcamp.

Figure 6. Big Groups of Cambodian Teachers After
Participating the Bootcamp.

Impact and Future Directions
The impact and future direction of technology
and value-driven transformation in education
are indeed extensive and continuously evolving.
Here are some potential impacts and directions
worth considering. Some potential impacts
include:1. Enhanced
learning
experiences:
Technology can provide new andinnovative ways for students to engage
with course material and access resources,
which can lead to more personalised andeffective learning.
2. Improved student outcomes: Technologydriven transformation can help to closeachievement gaps and provide more
equitable educational opportunities for all
students.
3. Increased access to education: With thehelp of technology, educational resources
can be made available to more students in

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SEAMOLEC’s Initiatives in K-12 Education Transformation

more locations, regardless of their physicallocation or financial status.
4. Development of 21st-century skills:
Technology can provide students with
opportunities to develop critical skills suchas problem-solving, communication andcollaboration that are in high demand in
the modern workforce.
To prepare for and take advantage of massive
developments in technology, we propose
some recommendations that aim to guide thefuture direction of technology and value-driven
transformation in education within the ASEAN
region as follows:
1. Promote Digital Inclusion and Access.
We need to prioritise efforts to ensure
equitable access to technology anddigital resources across ASEAN member
countries. Investment in infrastructuredevelopment, internet connectivity andaffordable devices is needed to bridge thedigital divide and provide equal learning
opportunities for all students.
2. Foster Collaboration and Knowledge
Exchange. To foster collaboration andfacilitate knowledge exchange in thefield of educational technology among
ASEAN member countries, it is important
to implement the following measures:(a) Actively encourage collaborationand knowledge exchange among ASEAN
member countries, specifically in therealm of educational technology, (b)establish dedicated platforms and forums
that bring together educators, researchersand policymakers from across ASEAN.
These platforms should serve as spaces
for sharing best practices, discussing

36

innovative approaches and exchanging
valuable resources related to educational
technology and (c) cultivate a collaborative
culture that promotes innovation andcross-cultural understanding.
3. Enhance
TeacherTraining
andProfessional Development. To drive
the effective integration of technology
into pedagogical practices, it is crucial toinvest in comprehensive teacher training
programmes that empower educators.
By providing ongoing professional
development opportunities, workshops
and online courses, teachers can enhancetheir digital literacy and pedagogicalskills, enabling them to fully leverage thepotential of technology in the classroom.
4. Embrace
Innovative
Pedagogies
and Learning Approaches. To foster
educational innovation, it is essential
to embrace innovative pedagogies andlearning approaches that harness thepower of technology, encourage theadoption of student-centred, active
learning methodologies that cultivate
critical thinking, creativity, collaborationand problem-solving skills and placeemphasis on leveraging technology as a tool
to enhance student engagement, facilitate
personalised learning experiences andestablish meaningful connections to thereal world.
By focusing on digital inclusion, collaboration,teacher professional development and innovative
pedagogies, ASEAN member countries canharness the transformative power of technology
to create inclusive, learner-centred educational
environments. Nevertheless, it is important for

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 28 – 38 (2023)

Wahyudi and Aline Almandha

each country to adapt these recommendations
to their specific contexts, needs and priorities
while also considering regional collaborationand coordination.
In a nutshell, the integration of technology
and values-driven transformation in education
has the potential to revolutionise the way welearn and teach. By leveraging technology
to create more personalised, engaging andinclusive learning experiences, educators caninspire a passion for learning in students andempower them with the skills they need tosucceed in an ever-changing world.
However, to achieve this transformation,
educators must place a renewed emphasis onvalues such as empathy, compassion and social
responsibility and ensure that technology isused to enhance, rather than replace, humanconnection and interaction. With a collaborativeand holistic approach, we can create a futureof education that is truly transformational andthat prepares students to lead fulfilling andpurpose-driven lives. SEAMOLEC will continue
to bring out initiatives that will emphasis not
only the use of technology but also how to
cultivate strong values and character traits thatare essential for students. By doing so, we canfoster a generation of learners who are not only
proficient in technical skills but also possess theemotional intelligence, creativity and ethicalintegrity needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving
global landscape.
Undoubtedly, the ongoing (r)evolution oftechnology and value-driven transformationin education is poised to have a profound
impact on both student learning and teachingpractices. As we move forward, it is clear thatthese advancements will continue to shape andredefine the educational landscape, presenting
new opportunities and challenges for students
and teachers alike.
References
Alpaydin, E. (2016). Machine learning: The new AI.
MIT Press.
Brynjolfsson, E., & McAfee, A. (2014). The second
machine age: Work, progress, and prosperity
in a time of brilliant technologies. W. W.
Norton & Company.
Darling-Hammond, L., & Rothman, R. (Eds). (2011).
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Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 39 – 44 (2023)

Technology and Values-Driven Transformationin Educationwww.seameo.org

A Breakthrough of Values-Driven Strategies in Using Multimedia-Based
Instruction (MMBI): A Course Towards Sustainable Transformative
Education
Marife D. Almero1, Philip P. Bohol1, Jeryphier Cespon1, Danica Abegail A. Cordero1,
Milmar A. Paña1 and Faith S. Perocho1
La Filipina National High School, Tagum City, Philippines

1*Corresponding Author
Marife D. Almero
Email:
marife.dumalag@deped.gov.ph
Co-Author(s):Author 2: Philip P. Bohol
Email:
philipii.bohol@deped.gov.ph

ABSTRACT
Face-to-face learning has been the standard way of teaching and learning. However,during the pandemic, the educational sector was greatly affected since schools wereforced to shut down as the country implemented plans and procedures on how tocontain the virus infection. As the global setting suffered, so as with the local entities
were distressed. In fact, a significant decrease in the number of enrollees had been

Author 3: Jeryphier Cespon
Email:
jeryphier.cespon@deped.gov.phrecorded. To aid the challenges brought by the pandemic, last 11 September 2020,

Author 4: Danica Abegail A.
­Cordero
Email:
danicaabegail.ayag@deped.gov.ph

related supplementary materials like Television-Based Instruction (TVBI), Radio-

Author 5: Milmar A. Paña
Email:
milmar.aballe001@deped.gov.ph
Author 6: Faith S. Perocho
Email: faith.perocho@deped.gov.
ph‘Salida La Filipina’ was launched, which is a media-based programme of La Filipina
National High School (LFNHS) that produces localised and contextualised mediaBased Instruction (RBI), TeleRadyo-Based Instruction (TBI), Salida Ads, Salida Talks
and Salida Probe. Thus, making Salida La Filipina the centre of supplementary learning
instruction. Furthermore, varied teaching and learning strategies were integrated
into the programme, namely: (a) digital learning, where technical resources wereused as learning tools; (b) effective lecturing, where teachers innovate materials
showing digital lectures and seminars; (c) flipped classroom, where students canhave actual learning experience on how to properly use the equipment, (d) group/
collaborative work, where students can actively engage with others to improve
public reasoning and team-based skills. To ensure the objectives were attained, theschool with the Salida Crew conducted online training and seminars for teachers tocapacitate them in studio-related tasks and to produce their contextualised videos attheir own school levels. As the full implementation of face-to-face classes paved its
way in LFNHS, teachers utilised the produced materials as supplementary learning
resources for instruction. The programme helped the teachers minimise their timein discussion, thus deviating from the conventional way of teaching and encouraging
students’ interaction and self-exploration. In support of the different activities,
Salida La Filipina produced Same-Day-Edit episodes for school, division, regional andPublished by SEAMEO Organization, ISSN 1513-4601 | Editorial Office: SEAMEO Secretariat, 920 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok, Thailand.
Tel: (+662) 3910144 | Fax: (+662) 3812587 | E-mail: secretariat@seameo.org This article is under CC BY-SA License.

Values-Driven Multimedia Instruction for Sustainable Education

national events. Salida team served as the production team, highlighting the skills
learned during the trainings and workshops, which in turn developed harmonious
relationships among partners and stakeholders as the team engaged in reach-out
programmes, benchmarking and community activities. Moreover, the programmealso journeyed towards incorporating values-driven strategies. It promoted theauthentic lives of indigenous people as integrated into the subjects broadcast in
the programme. The episodes did not only highlight the cognitive aspects of thestudents but also the values and good morals. Salida La Filipina corroborates thatlearners embody respect and love for others, regardless of their skin colour, gender,
religion and status. Lastly, to ensure the continuity and sustainability of the Salida
La Filipina programme. It intends to pursue the following plans: (a) conduct media
literacy trainings, seminars and camps to produce competent and media-skilledteachers and learners, (b) designate students as Salida Studio Crew to utilise theusage of Salida La Filipina Studio and create news broadcasts and content videos, (c)produce supplementary media-based instructional episodes to support the learning
process and (d) strengthen partnerships through benchmarking and community
immersions.

Keywords: Educational transformation, La Filipina National High School, multimedia-based, the Philippines,
Salida La Filipina

Introduction‘Salida La Filipina’, a media-based programmeof La Filipina National High School (LFNHS)
that produces localised and contextualised
media-related supplementary materials like
Television-Based Instruction (TVBI), Radio-Based
Instruction (RBI), TeleRadyo-Based Instruction(TBI), Salida Ads, Salida Talks and Salida Probe.
The programme aims to deliver quality learning
resources to make teaching–learning fun,engaging and interesting.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Universities
were forced to fast transition from traditionalclassroom teaching to online learning, (Sousa,2020). With this, LFNHS accepted the challenge
by creating a programme to aid distancelearning, thus making Salida La Filipina thecentre of supplementary learning instruction.

40

From its humble beginning, the programme first
produced episodes from scratch with no proper
equipment and a classroom as the studio. Bymaking Salida La Filipina anchored to Adopt-aSchool Programme and Brigada Eskwela, theprogramme received positive responses frompartners and stakeholders and was successfullylaunched on 11 September 2020.
Currently, the programme utilises all donatedequipment to deliver quality instructional
materials in over 417 already-produced videos
to supplement students’ learning. With theprogramme as the centre, many activities
were conducted, like Salida Ads as programme
advocacy campaign, Salida Eskwela as
supplementary media-based instruction for
all subject areas, Salida Talks for community

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 39 – 44 (2023)

Marife D. Almero, Philip P. Bohol, Jeryphier Cespon, Danica Abegail A. Cordero, Milmar A. Paña and Faith S. Perocho

engagement activities, Salida Probe for news
and current events and Salida Snapshots to
document every celebration and events.
Moreover, with all the support received by
the programme, Salida La Filipina helped backthe community by creating Salida Ads on theaccomplishments of Barangay La Filipina andproviding media-based learning instruction
to preschool learners. In connection withthe programme’s advocacy, the school isalready conducting trainings and seminars forteachers and students to capacitate them forstudio-related tasks and to produce their own
informational videos.
With this, Salida La Filipina continues to makesupplementary learning materials, welcome
benchmarking activities, conduct trainings andproduce informational ads for the school andthe community.
Strategies Integrated to Salida La Filipina
1. Digital Learning is the transformation fromtraditional classroom teaching to online
teaching (Sousa, 2020). The multimediabased instruction (MMBI) that is alreadyproduced by Salida La Filipina, like RBI,TVBI and TBI, can be easily retrieved by
students and teachers and is open to be
used during the teaching–learning process
as a supplemental learning strategy.
2. Contextualised Learning explains how
bringing learning into context can make theexperience more meaningful to students(Osika, 2022). Further, it enables learners
to apply knowledge and skills to reallife situations. Likewise, Salida La Filipina
made sure that the examples presented

in the lesson are relatable to the student’s
life since students are engaged in various
social media platforms, and this is also thetarget of contextualised learning. Meetingwith students’ experiences results inmeaningful learning happens.
3. Effective Lecturing innovates the
traditional method of lecturing as it
introduces more active and participatorycomponents, thereby enhancing higherorder thinking and learning during class(Abreu, 2021). Like showing digital lecturesand seminars documented by Salida La
Filipina. This helps the lecturer not tomonopolise the whole duration of thelecture as materials are already provided
to be used.
4. Flipped Classroom utilises Salida Studio toexperience real-life production works likeTV and Radio broadcasting, hosting andother live recorded works. As students
learn the skills, they then assist otherstudents, teachers and visitors who areinterested in learning them. The outputs
from the studio are all aired and uploaded
to different platforms like YouTube andFacebook so that other students will
also learn from them, thus ensuring the
programme’s efficiency.
Values-Driven Strategies Incorporated in the
Programme
Globally, the education system is faced withmany crises including drug addiction/peddling,indiscipline, school dropout, rape, abuse ofvarious forms, smoking, drinking of alcohol, andother violent crimes (Khathi, 2022). Integrating
values-driven contents, strategies and activities

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 39 – 44 (2023)

41

Values-Driven Multimedia Instruction for Sustainable Educationin the teaching–learning process is an integral
part of the holistic development of the students.
The programme does not only focus on the
cognitive side but also on the total well-beingof the students. According to Mercer et al. as
cited by Zheng (2022), well-being is the centerof positive educational practices along witheducational content. Teachers want to inculcate
in the students’ minds that emanating goodvalues and good morals matter. Learners should
embody respect and love for others, regardlessof their skin colour, gender, religion, status, etc.
That is why the school produced Salida episodes,
documentaries and programmes, invited highcalibre speakers and conducted symposiums
to integrate values in the delivery of education.
For instance, in one of the programme’s
produced episodes, it promoted the authentic
and aesthetic lives of our indigenous people.
It showcased their language, cooking recipes,
culture and traditions. With these, students
appreciated their history, origin and identity.
In addition, Salida La Filipina also broadcasted
episodes like My Wonder Juana Story, which
magnified the resilience of a woman during the
pandemic. This episode was also integrated intosome of the lessons in different subject areas,
like Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao and English.
Moreover, during the school’s celebration of the2020 National Reading Month, the programme
produced eight episodes of virtual storytellinghighlighting the good values and conduct of aperson as embodied by the character from thestory. It also prompted students to respond todifferent questions not only focusing on the
cognitive aspects but also on affective domains.
Furthermore, a teacher’s guidance boosts thestudents’ morale inculcating what is more

42

valuable in life (Sen, 2019). As we designed thisprogramme, the teachers really put into accountthat Salida La Filipina would really be focused on
developing not just the intellect of the learners
but also boosting their morale and good conduct
because these would help students to become
more and more responsible and sensible citizensof society.
Interrelationship of Salida La Filipina with
Other Sustainable Development Goals
1. Wash in School (WinS)—Sustainable
Development Goal (SDG) 6: Clean waterand sanitation: To educate the community
on the critical importance of sanitation,
hygiene and handwashing in containing
diseases, especially during the pandemic,
Salida La Filipina launches the WinS
programme.
2. Pag-Indoaw
Pagbabarawan
Ng
Kamonamonaan—SDG
10:
Reduceinequality: Salida La Filipina also became
a forum for spreading indigenous people’s
culture and values, as shown in Pag-Indoaw Pagbabarawan Ng Kamonamonaan(Discussion on Educational Heritage).
This is an essential topic since LFNHS
was named Tagum City’s most sustained
indigeneous education implementing
school and is in line with SGD on reduced
inequality. Through the ‘18-day campaign
VAW (violence against women)’ and ‘Juana
in time of epidemic’, which talk about theresilience of women, the SGD on genderequality was demonstrated. These two
initiatives were founded on the SDGs of
promoting gender equality.

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 39 – 44 (2023)

Marife D. Almero, Philip P. Bohol, Jeryphier Cespon, Danica Abegail A. Cordero, Milmar A. Paña and Faith S. Perocho

Diagram 1. The Conceptual Paradigm of the Implementation of Salida La Filipina Program

Salida La Filipina’s Future Plans
The school targets continuity andsustainability of the Salida La Filipina
programme. It intends to pursue the following
future plans:
1. Conduct media literacy trainings, seminars
and camps to produce competent andmedia-skilled teachers and learners;
2. Designate students as Salida Studio Crew toutilise the Salida La Filipina Studio for creatingnews broadcasts and content videos;
3. Produce supplementary media-based
instructional episodes to support thelearning process and4. Strengthen
partnerships
throughbenchmarking
andcommunity
immersions.

Concept Flow
Strategy: Talk show
Topic: A breakthrough of values-driven
strategies in using MMBI: A course towards
sustainable transformative education. The diagram
is anchored on Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow Theory
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our profoundgratitude and heartfelt appreciation to all those
who have contributed to the completion andpublication of this paper.
To Dr Josephine S. Fadul, our Schools Division
Superintendent, for her unwavering support,
guidance and encouragement throughout theprocess.

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 39 – 44 (2023)

43

Values-Driven Multimedia Instruction for Sustainable Education

To Ivy Palomo and Mr Mark Bautista, ourDivision Seameo Focal, for their invaluable
insights and constructive feedbacks, which havebeen crucial in shaping this study.
To Dionisio B. Siglos, our School Principal IV,
and Jeffrey C. Villarosa, former School Principal
IV, for providing the necessary resources andfacilities to conduct this publication. Theirvisionary leadership and dedication have playeda significant role in the success of this study.
Their commitment to academic excellence andinnovation has inspired us to strive for excellenceand pursue our goals relentlessly.
To Harley B. Aglosolos, former SALIDA
Coordinator/proponent, Joan D. Lanciola, our
Adopt-A-School focal, and Cherry Ann Nicolas,
our Brigada Eskwela coordinator, for generously
giving us their time and providing the necessary
data for this publication. Their cooperation andwillingness to share their experiences have been
integral to the success of this study.
To our students, the SALIDA team members,
our co-teachers and friends, for their unwavering
support, inspiration and valuable discussions
that have enriched our experiences.
To our families, for their constant love,support and encouragement. Without theirunwavering belief in us, this paper would nothave been possible.
And above all, to God Almighty, for giving
us the strength and power to push through,for the unconditional love and wisdom and forthe words of spiritual knowledge in making ussurvive in this endeavour.

References
Abreu, Joshua. (2021). Strategies for teaching. Poorvu
Center for Teaching andLearning. https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/FacultyResources/
Teaching-Strategies
Khathi J., Ajani O., & Govender, S. (2022). ERIC Education Resources Information Center.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1362964.
pdf
Osika, Alexandra. (2022, March 4). Contextual
learning: Linking learning to the real world.
THE Campus Learn, Share, Connect. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/
contextual-learning-linking-learning-realworldSen, S. (2019). What is the role of a teacher in a
student’s life? - Global career counsellor.
GlobalCareerCounsellor

https://www.globalcareercounsellor.com/
blog/what-is-the-role-of-a-teacher-in-astudents-life/
Sousa, M.J.; Marôco, A.L.; Gonçalves, S.P.; Machado,
A.d.B. (2022). Digital Learning Is an
Educational Format towards Sustainable
Education. Sustainability 2022, 14, 1140.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ su14031140
Zheng F. (2022).

Fostering students’ well-being:

The mediating role of teacher interpersonal
behavior and student-teacher relationships.
(n.d.). Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.
org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.796728/
full#ref30

Thank you for being a part of our journey.

44

Certification.

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Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 45 – 58 (2023)

Technology and Values-Driven Transformationin Educationwww.seameo.org

Development of a Framework for Assessing the Readiness of TVET
Institutions for IR 4.0
Paryono Paryono1 and Hartini Mashod1
Research Division, SEAMEO VOCTECH, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam

1*Corresponding Author
Paryono Paryono
Email: paryono@voctech.edu.bn
Co-Author(s):Author 2: Hartini Mashod
E-mail:hartini.mashod@voctech.edu.bn

ABSTRACTThe Industrial Revolution (IR) is coming and has impacted the way we live, learn
and work. The adoption of digitalisation in preparation for IR 4.0 or even beyond isinevitable for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions.
Much has been introduced and discussed about TVET 4.0, but the scope, including
the variables and indicators, is not clearly defined. For that reason, having a suitable
framework that can be used to assess the readiness of TVET institutions to prepare
for IR or future technological innovation is very much needed. This paper will explore,
compare and discuss various frameworks, both related to those for assessing thereadiness of industry and education institutions for IR 4.0 integration. Based on theworkshops organised by SEAMEO VOCTECH in September and November 2022 and apilot study of the instrument, a proposed framework will be shared and discussed inthis paper, including the assessment tools for TVET institutions. This paper will alsooffer some recommendations on how to use the framework and the assessment
tools for the development of institutional roadmaps based on the level of TVET 4.0/
technological adoption at the institution.

Keywords: Conceptual framework, digitalisation, readiness for industrial revolution 4.0, technical and vocational education and training (TVET)

Introduction
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0) presents wider opportunities for the
implementation of fundamental concepts thathave already been widely adopted in various
countries, including Europe and the UnitedStates. The concept of IR 4.0 refers to a variety
of developing technologies that have significant

impacts on the workplace and that integrate
the physical, digital and biological worlds (AsianDevelopment Bank, 2021). Modernisation andtechnological advancements have indeed had
a profound effect on today’s society and job
markets. Eventually, this will lead to the declineof the traditional employment market. The

Published by SEAMEO Organization, ISSN 1513-4601 | Editorial Office: SEAMEO Secretariat, 920 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok, Thailand.
Tel: (+662) 3910144 | Fax: (+662) 3812587 | E-mail: secretariat@seameo.org This article is under CC BY-SA License.

Assessing TVET Readiness for IR 4.0 Frameworkanxiety of job loss is due to the possibility oflabour substitution as a result of technologicalchange, and it has always existed during periods
characterised by radical technological shifts,
such as witnessed in the previous IRs (Rajput,2020). The benefits of IR 4.0 are considered
to be greater than the potential drawbacks
for German mechanical and plant engineers.
According to a survey, 90% of companies deeply
engaged in IR 4.0 perceive it as a prospect
to distinguish themselves in the market.
Furthermore, a significant majority of 76.2%
believe that the discussion of this subject matter
is an essential component of being a technology
leader (Impuls, 2015).
Several research studies have demonstrated
the advantages and prospects that accompany
the latest technological advancements related
to IR 4.0. As such, one study states that theimplementation of Industry 4.0 technologies
is expected to generate an additional potential
added value of 23 billion euros and an annual
growth rate of 2.1 percent in the sector by 2025
(Bitkom/Fraunhofer IAO, 2014 cited in Impuls,2015). The realisation of this potential can beattained through the utilisation of optimisedvalue-adding networks, improvements inbusiness process efficiency, the introduction of
innovative products and the implementationof novel services and business models (Impuls,2015).
Technical and vocational education andtraining (TVET) is a critical component in
preparing today’s youth for future employment
opportunities in the era of IR 4.0. The study of IR
4.0 and its impact on the world of work to foster
innovation in TVET education is of paramountimportance. As countries move towards

46

adopting the IR 4.0, they are likely to face several
hurdles related to the competency level of theirworkforce (BRICS Skill Development Working
Group, 2016). Consequently, many nations
have begun to equip their workforce with thenecessary knowledge and skills for IR 4.0 (Tunet al., 2021).
The impact of the IR 4.0 on TVET has beenrecognised by several governments worldwide,
leading them to take appropriate measures in
response to this trend (Rajput, 2020). Most
Asian countries prioritise policy initiatives suchas altering the demand for skills, restructuring
the implementation of TVET and creating
innovative curricula to facilitate their transition
towards the IR 4.0. A skilled workforce isthe cornerstone of industries and crucial
for the economic growth of a nation. It isnecessary not only for enhanced productivity,
competitiveness and industrialisation but also
for maintaining the progress already made(Rajput, 2020).
The degree of preparedness and readinessof nations for the IR 4.0 varies and is contingent
upon several factors, including awareness,
perception, current industrial demand andgovernmental policy (Tun et al., 2021). TVET and
the industry need to offer a diverse range of skills
to produce a workforce equipped with a broad
spectrum of competencies that can effectively
address the demands of future employment. In
order to guarantee that forthcoming employees
possess the necessary knowledge and skills,
TVET institutions play an important role in
the reorganisation of the labour force as acomponent of their workforce readiness efforts(UNESCO, 2013; Yusop et al., 2023).

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 45 – 58 (2023)

Paryono Paryono and Hartini Mashod

According to a report published by theInstitute of Labour Information and Analysis(ILMIA) in Malaysia, one of the key factors
required to facilitate the implementation of IR
4.0 is the reinforcement of policies pertaining
to skilled human resources and employment.
The aforementioned opportunity has provided
us with a broader outlook on the various
perspectives regarding the significance of
education in equipping skilled human capital(Rohanai et al., 2020).
Accordingly, TVET is included in the United
Nations’ objectives to enhance the numberof young individuals and adults who possess
proficiencies in areas such as technical andvocational skills, which are essential for thelabour force, satisfactory employment andentrepreneurial pursuits (United Nations,2020). The IR 4.0 necessitates modifications in
the curriculum of not only technical education
but also general education. This transformation
plays a crucial part in preparing the workforce forthe industry (Aulbur et al., 2016). Additionally,
it is imperative to enhance action researchmethodologies at the community level tocustomise TVET offerings to meet requirements
and circumstances in collaboration with all
pertinent stakeholders. Collaboration withresearchers and experts who prioritise solution
development and possess the ability to work
together on a pragmatic level is of utmost
significance (Mahmood et al., 2018; Shabbir etal., 2020).
The existing body of research on work
readiness within the field of global studies has
yet to specifically address the preparednessof TVET institutions with regards to IR 4.0.
Conducting this type of research is imperative

as it can furnish insights into the degree towhich endeavours have been undertaken toenhance the preparedness of TVET for the
IR 4.0 (Nurjanah & Ana, 2021). Furthermore,
the results acquired may serve as a researchfoundation for the creation of a curriculum thataligns with the Industry 4.0 framework. The
findings may also serve as a means to enhance
the linkage and alignment between the domainsof academia and industry. Correspondingly, thiscalls for the need to have a proper frameworkand tools to evaluate the preparedness of
TVET institutions for the upcoming IR or futuretechnological advancements.
Objectives of this paper are the following:
1. Explore, compare and discuss various
frameworks, both related to those forassessing the readiness of industry and
TVET institutions for IR 4.0 integration.
2. Propose a suitable framework for assessing
the readiness of TVET institutions for IR
4.0 (TVET 4.0).
3. Recommend how to use the framework andthe assessment tools for the developmentof institutional roadmaps based on thelevel of TVET 4.0/technological adoption
at the institution.
Literature Review
The investigation of IR 4.0 readiness is apotential avenue for organisations to effectively
address the challenges that may arise during thetransition towards the new IR (Hofmann & Rüsch,2017). Schumacher et al. (2016) conducted astudy on various readiness and maturity models
for the implementation of Industry 4.0. They
assert that the distinction between a maturity

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 45 – 58 (2023)

47

Assessing TVET Readiness for IR 4.0 Framework

model and a readiness model lies in the fact thatthe readiness assessment takes place prior tothe commencement of the maturation process.
Nonetheless, a scarcity exists in the availabilityof readiness assessments that address thedistinct demands and obstacles faced by TVET
institutions within the context of Industry 4.0. It
is necessary to conduct a readiness assessment
in order to showcase the TVET institution’s levelof preparedness. This section will discuss several
frameworks related to assessing the readinessof the industry and TVET institutions for IR 4.0
integration.
Review of IR 4.0 Readiness Models
1. Self-Assessment of Industry Readiness(Impuls, 2015)
The readiness model developed by Impuls(2015) serves as the basis for conducting aself-evaluation and comparative analysis.
The developed Online Self-Check enables
organisations to assess their IR 4.0 readiness acrosssix dimensions, namely strategy and organisation,
smart factory, smart operations, smart products,
data-driven services and employees. The model
was developed to explore the following aspects:
structural attributes of the companies, generalquestions about Industry 4.0, the degree towhich companies satisfy the dimensions ofIndustry 4.0 and motivators and obstacles on theroad to Industry 4.0. The outcomes are utilised
to categorise the corporations into groups of‘newcomers’, ‘learners’ or ‘leaders’. As Shown in
Figure 1, the readiness model consists of 6 main
dimensions and 18 fields.
As illustrated in Figure 1, the inner circle ofthe model looks at six dimensions, and each

48

Figure 1. Readiness Model with 6 Dimensions and 18
Fields.
Source: Impuls (2015).

of these six dimensions is further delineatedinto fields, which in turn are operationalisedwith appropriate indicators. Meanwhile, theouter circle shows the fields associated witheach of the six dimensions. A total of 18 fields
are measured using the appropriate indicators:
level 0 (outsider), level 1 (beginner), level 2(intermediate), level 3 (experienced), level 4(expert) and level 5 (top performer).
2. Singapore Smart Industry Readiness Index(SEDB, 2020)
The Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI) isa framework designed to assist manufacturers
in initiating, expanding and maintaining their
manufacturing transformation endeavours,
regardless of their size or industry. The
framework was developed through acollaborative effort with a multinational testing,inspection and certification corporation andsubsequently reviewed and endorsed by a

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 45 – 58 (2023)

Paryono Paryono and Hartini Mashodgroup of professionals with expertise in bothindustry and academia. The SIRI framework andassessment matrix is based on the Reference
Architectural Model for Industry 4.0 (RAMI 4.0),
which was created by Plattform Industrie 4.0,
a prominent Industry 4.0 network with global
reach (SEDB, 2020).
The SIRI framework is composed of three
distinct layers. The uppermost stratum
comprises the three essential building blocks ofIndustry 4.0, namely process, technology andorganisation. The fundamental components ofthe structure are supported by eight pillars that
denote essential facets that corporations mustprioritise to attain readiness for the future. The
final layer encompasses a total of 16 dimensions
that organisations ought to consider whenassessing the present state of development of
their establishments. The assessment matrix
is a tool used to evaluate and measure theperformance of individuals or groups basedon predetermined criteria. The assessment

matrix is a self-diagnostic tool designed to aid
companies globally in assessing the current
state of their factories. Displayed in Figure 2 isthe layers within SIRI Framework developed by
SEDB.
3. Malaysia Industry4WRD
The Industry4WRD model consists of 3
shift factors, 8 thrusts and 21 dimensions.
The Industry4WRD Readiness Assessment isan endeavour undertaken by the Ministry ofInternational Trade and Industry in Malaysia,
aimed at assisting companies in evaluating theircompetencies and preparedness to embrace IR
4.0 technologies and procedures. Enterprises
operating within the manufacturing and ITrelated services sectors in Malaysia are eligible toparticipate in this programme. The programme
offers various benefits, such as the ability toidentify areas for improvement in terms of IR
4.0 adoption and the opportunity to apply for
financial incentives (MPC, n.d.).

Figure 2. SIRI Framework.
Source: SEDB (2020).

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 45 – 58 (2023)

49

Assessing TVET Readiness for IR 4.0 Framework

The inner circle of the model includes three
shift factors: people, process and technology.
The first factor, People, centres on bothindividuals and the organisation as a whole,prioritising strategies aimed at cultivating anappropriate workforce. The second factor
pertains to Process, which centres on the
management system utilised in conducting
business operations, supply chain andproduct lifecycle. This factor places emphasison the implementation of intelligent andstrategic public–private partnerships, security,
sustainability and product co-creation. The third
factor pertains to Technology and emphasises
the utilisation of intelligent, interconnected andautomated technologies (Saari, n.d.).
4. Labtech Digital TVET Framework
The Labtech Digital TVET framework was
created by Labtech International. The framework
underscores the importance of investing inteacher training, digital platforms, high-quality
content and establishing networks that extend
beyond institutional boundaries (McKee, n.d.).
The framework comprises three outer layers,
namely InfraStructure, InfoStructure and
InfoCulture. Beneath each external layer are
four internal dimensions that represent the subcomponents. Components under InfraStructure
contains hardware, integration and support,
connection and bandwidth. As for InfoStructure,
the components include software, platform,
content and assessment. Meanwhile, theInfoCulture components consist of curriculum,
policy, capacity building and change management.
5. TVET College Readiness (Makgato, 2019)
The study conducted by Makgato (2019)presents empirical findings from three TVET

50

colleges located in one province within South
Africa. The empirical part focused on vocational
pedagogic and didactic practices, workshop
material and equipment for practical training,
work-integrated learning and integration oftheory and practice in vocational subjects.
The study’s results reveal both congruent
patterns and conflicting outcomes with priorempirical investigations. Within the category of
pedagogical and didactic practices, a significant
majority of the students expressed agreementwith the notion that the VET pedagogy isgeared towards augmenting their ability tothink independently. This finding is consistent
with the research conducted by Reeson etal. (2016), which highlights the necessity foreducators to adopt a distinct pedagogicalapproach and skill set in light of the emergenceof Industry 4.0.
Furthermore, the results pertaining to
the perspectives of students regarding theamalgamation of theoretical and practicalaspects in academic disciplines indicate that asignificant proportion (75%) of students concurthat they encounter obstacles in acquiring
the essential competencies and expertise
requisite for social and economic development.
Additionally, a majority of the students
concurred on the significance of collaborationin vocational education and training. The
aforementioned results offer a comprehensive
analysis of students’ perspectives regarding
the preparedness of their institutions for IR
4.0. These outcomes may serve as a point ofreference for universities and policymakers
in devising suitable tactics to facilitate theproduction of TVET graduates who are equipped
for the demands of the future.

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Paryono Paryono and Hartini Mashod

6. Readiness of Public TVET for the IR 4.0(Denhere & Moloi, 2021)
Denhere and Moloi (2021) conducted astudy in South Africa to examine different
indicators that can be used to evaluate thepreparedness of TVET colleges for IR 4.0. The
present investigation encompassed a totalof 26 public TVET institutions situated in nine
provinces of the Republic of South Africa.
The study evaluated a total of 14 indicatorsthat pertain to the readiness of public TVET
institutions to function effectively in the context
of IR 4.0, as depicted in Figure 3. Drawing upon
the aforementioned findings, it was determinedthat public TVET institutions in South Africa
have initiated efforts towards readiness for IR
4.0; however, they have not yet achieved full
preparedness.

7. E-Learning Readiness (Chapnick, 2000)
Chapnick (2000) proposed the E-learning
Readiness Model, which evaluates the
preparedness of individuals to adopt e-learningin an institution or organisation. According
to Chapnick, there exist multiple factorsthat necessitate consideration in order toevaluate preparedness. The author presents
a comprehensive list of 66 factors, organised
into 8 distinct categories (as depicted in Figure4). Chapnick’s approach diverges from previous
research in that he presents a range of options
for each query and requires managers tochoose a single response that best reflects thecircumstances of their organisations. According
to Aydin and Tasci (2005), the model facilitates
an evaluation of an organisation’s readinessfor e-learning while also identifying areas that

Figure 3. Indicators of IR 4.0 Readiness for Public TVET Colleges.
Source: Denhere and Moloi (2021).

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 45 – 58 (2023)

51

Assessing TVET Readiness for IR 4.0 Framework

Figure 4. Components of E-Learning Readiness.
Source: Chapnick (2000).

require improvement and those that have beensuccessful.
Methods
Approaches for constructing the framework:
1. The process of conducting desk reviews
involves the identification, selection andanalysis of pertinent frameworks thatassess the readiness of industries andeducational institutions. As previously
stated and analysed in the preceding
section, various extant frameworks
pertaining to the IR 4.0 were evaluated;these encompass scholarly articles andprofessional publications.
2. Training and workshops were conductedwith researchers from nine ASEAN
countries and partners to create aframework and tools that are appropriate
for evaluating the preparedness of TVET
institutions for the IR 4.0. This research

52

project involves the participation of 24
researchers from various SEAMEO sister
centres,
universities,
governmental
agencies and entities. Two workshops
were convened to discuss and develop
a framework and assessment tool tomeasure the preparedness of TVET
institutions for IR 4.0. The first workshop
was conducted in a virtual format on
21–22 September 2022, with a focus on
deliberations pertaining to the framework.
The second workshop was held at SEAMEOVOCTECH from 8–10 November 2022.
The subsequent workshop involves thecompletion of the research frameworkand the creation of an assessment tool
for the survey questionnaire, as well as
the formulation of questions for the focus
group discussion (FDG).
3. Following the workshops, the framework
and assessment tool were pilot tested innine ASEAN countries by the corresponding
researchers. The pilot study yielded 50
responses, and analysis indicates a highlevel of reliability in the measurements
utilised. The feedback and suggestions
offered by the researchers and participantsfrom the country provide opportunities forenhancing the framework and assessment
tool.
4. Before commencing data collection, theenhanced iteration of the survey was
disseminated to industry experts fortheir final review. The Smart Education
Readiness Index (SERI) framework andassessment matrix were finalised by taking
into consideration the feedback received
from industry experts.

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Paryono Paryono and Hartini Mashod

Figure 5. SERI Framework Developed by SEAMEO VOCTECH’s Research Team.
Source: SEAMEO VOCTECH.

Following a comprehensive review of therelevant frameworks, extensive deliberation
among the research team and consideration of
feedback from partners, a framework has been
established for evaluating the preparedness of
TVET institutions for IR 4.0. The SERI framework
is derived from the SIRI framework (SEDB,2020). The SIRI framework has been designed
to evaluate the preparedness of the industry,whereas the SERI framework has been adapted
to suit the educational context, thereby enabling
its application in assessing the readiness ofdiverse educational institutions.
Figure 5 illustrates the SERI Framework,
comprising three blocks, eight pillars, andnineteen dimensions.
SERI framework consists of three building
blocks: process, technology and organisation.
Under these blocks, there are eight pillars
contributing to the development of the
TVET system in alignment with industrial

requirements. The pillars under Process are
curriculum, stakeholder engagement andteaching and learning; the pillars underTechnology are infrastructure, intelligence andconnectivity and the pillars under Organisation
are structure, management and talent readiness.
Under each pillar, there are several dimensions
that will be assessed using an assessment matrix
developed by the research team from SEAMEOVOCTECH. Overall, there are 19 dimensions, as
depicted in the SERI framework. Each of these
dimensions is defined and described according
to the level of adoption, ranging from thelowest level of adoption (band 0) to the highest
level (band 4).
There are two assessment tools: a survey
and an FGD. The survey will act as the main
tool, while the FGD will be complementary to
the survey. The survey consists of four sections:personal information, Process-related questions,Technology-related questions and Organisationrelated questions. Institutions will be using the

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 45 – 58 (2023)

53

Assessing TVET Readiness for IR 4.0 Framework

Table 1. Assessment Matrix for Dimension Transversal Skills
BAND

DEFINITIONDESCRIPTION

0Conventional

Use existing curriculum

Curriculum content without IR 4.0

1

Early adopter

Early stage adopting IR 4.0
curriculum

Curriculum content has a few components of IR 4.0

2

LearnerModerate usage with IR 4.0
curriculum

Curriculum content adopts basic components of IR 4.0

3

Experienced

Almost every time expose/use IR 4.0 curriculum

Curriculum content incorporates a majority of components
of IR 4.0 in the context related to the area of specialisation

4

Exemplary

Transformative use of IR 4.0 Curriculum content incorporates all components of IR 4.0
curriculumin the context related to the area of specialisation and theReferral Centre of IR 4.0 curriculum  Note: Block: Process; Pillar: Curriculum; Dimension: Transversal Skills.
Transversal skills are those typically considered as not specifically related to a particular job, task, academic disciplineor area of knowledge but as skills that can be used in a wide variety of situations and work settings (IBE, 2013).
Source: Authors.

Table 2. Item Questions for Process–Curriculum–Transversal Skills. The Authors’ Institution Has
Embedded the Following Transversal Skills in the IR 4.0 Curriculum
CONVENTIONALEARLY ADOPTERLEARNER

EXPERIENCED EXEMPLARY

Complex problem solving

○

○

○

○

○

Social skills

○

○

○

○

○

Process skills

○

○

○

○

○

Cognitive abilities

○

○

○

○

○

People management

○

○

○

○

○

Content skills

○

○

○

○

○

Digital skills

○

○

○

○

○

Entrepreneurial skills

○

○

○

○

○

Source: Authors.

assessment matrix provided for each dimension
as guidance to answer the questions. Sample of
the assessment matrix for dimension Transversal
skills can be seen in Table 1. Included in theassessment matrix are item questions thatprovide more detailed information that will help
the respondents to complete the survey; see Table
2 as an example of an item question for Table 1.
Meanwhile, the FGD in this research project iscomplementary to the survey, to supplement
and provide alternative viewpoints from industry
players and representatives of TVET institutions.

54

Figure 6. The Current Readiness of a TVET Institution for
IR 4.0 in the Three Building Blocks.
Source: Authors.

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 45 – 58 (2023)

Paryono Paryono and Hartini Mashod

the readiness level from the lowest 0 to thehighest 4. Please see the band description forinterpretation.
Conclusions and Recommendations

Figure 7. The Current Readiness of a TVET Institution for
IR 4.0 in the Process Building Block.
Source: Authors.

Similarly, the rest of the dimensions underthe building blocks of process, technology andorganisation will have an assessment matrix likethe ones presented in Tables 1 and 2. To complete
the survey, it is recommended that an institution
create a team or task force so that the responses
will be accurate and comprehensive, as well as
create awareness and understanding about thestatus or condition of the institution’s readinessfor IR 4.0. Once the survey is completed, therespondents can generate outputs in tables orcharts to make the findings easy to understandand come up with an action plan. Just for
illustration, the findings can be presented in
web diagrams as follows:
Figure 6 shows that the institution has a
low-level adoption of IR 4.0 in Technology andOrganisation and a medium-low level in Process.
To examine more details of each building block,the respondents can generate web diagram as
illustrated in Figure 7.
Figure 7 illustrates the readiness of a TVET
institution for IR 4.0 in the process building block
covering curriculum, stakeholders’ engagement
and teaching and learning. The score represents

Based on literature reviews, workshops withthe researchers from nine SEAMEO member
countries and the piloting of the questionnaire,
we conclude that:
1. There is a need to develop a theoretical orconceptual framework that can be usedas the basis for assessing the readinessof TVET institutions for IR 4.0. There areframeworks for assessing the readiness ofindustry for IR 4.0, but none for assessing
TVET, not even for education institutions
in general.
2. The conceptual framework developed here
was inspired by the existing conceptual
frameworks for assessing industry
readiness, particularly SIRI by SEDB
(2020). We name it the SERI framework,
which covers 3 building blocks: process,technology and organisation; 8 pillars
and 19 dimensions. The team of SEAMEOVOCTECH’s researchers agreed that it is a
useful tool to assess the current status of
TVET institutions’ readiness for IR 4.0.
3. The SERI framework is accompaniedby the assessment matrix to guide therespondents from TVET institutions inassessing their institution’s readinessfor IR 4.0, referring to the definition anddescription of each dimension and theband or scale of its readiness.
To optimally use the SERI framework, we
recommend the followings:

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Assessing TVET Readiness for IR 4.0 Framework

1. TVET institutions or higher education
institutions are recommended toparticipate in this study so that they
can assess their readiness for IR 4.0 anddevelop a roadmap for furthering IR 4.0
adoption. To participate in the study, we
advise the institutions to create a team ortask force so that they can complete thesurvey accurately and comprehensively.
2. The FGD may be used to complement thesurvey to offer different perspectives fromindustry players and TVET institutions’representatives.
3. Any TVET institution may treat thesurvey as a self-assessment that can beadministered continually, every year or
every other year, and the findings can beused as input for developing a roadmap
that reflects a journey towards IR 4.0. The
existing condition reflected in the survey isa starting point to move to the next level byreferring to the definition and descriptionof each dimension.
4. An action/improvement plan based on theroadmap should be developed, including
the timeline (6 months and/or 1 year) andspecific activities to improve the status to
the next levels.
5. To the related ministries and TVET
directorate at the national level, it isrecommended that they encourage
educational institutions under theirjurisdiction to assess their readiness for IR
4.0 using this framework periodically. This
process can be integrated as part of theaccreditation process or monitoring andevaluation.

56

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Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 59 – 62 (2023)

Technology and Values-Driven Transformationin Educationwww.seameo.org

Leave No One Behind: The Solution to an Inclusive Future
Fezny Othman1, Mohd Zulkarnain Abdul Wahab2, Mohd Azlis Sani Md Jalil3 andMohamad Shabilullah Abd Hamid4
Programme Officer (Strategic Planning and Communication Division, SEAMEO SEN), Melaka, Malaysia
Head Unit (Strategic Planning and Communication Division, SEAMEO SEN), Melaka, Malaysia
3
Deputy Director Office (SEAMEO SEN), Melaka, Malaysia
4
Information and Communication Technology Officer (Strategic Planning and Communication Division, SEAMEO SEN),
Melaka, Malaysia
1
2*Corresponding Author
Fezny Othman
Email: fezny@seameosen.edu.my

ABSTRACTAs educational technologies excel towards achieving a better and more advanced

Co-Author(s):Author 2: Mohd Zulkarnain Abdul
Wahab
Email:
zulkarnain@seameosen.edu.my

future, it should be on the pillar of ‘leave no one behind’, a transformative promise

Author 3: Mohd Azlis Sani Md Jalil
Email: azlis@seameosen.edu.myequitable quality OER’ in one of its mandates. Additionally, it includes leveraging

Author 4: Mohamad Shabilullah
Abd Hamid
E-mail: shabil@seameosen.edu.myallowing for greater access to educational materials and resources. Inclusive open

sealed in the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development Goals. The 40th UNESCO
General Assembly in its 2019 UNESCO Recommendation on Open Educational
Resources (OER) called upon member states to ‘encourage inclusive andopen educational practices to make educational content more freely available,
educational resources (iOER) has recently been an important discussed topic
among stakeholders, especially with the implementation of a national-level policy
statement by Malaysia on the development and use of iOER for its higher learning
institutions nationwide (Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia.,2020). iOER is a formof educational resource that is designed to be accessible and usable for learners withdisabilities, regardless of their specific needs or abilities. This type of environment
can include materials and resources that are in accessible formats, such as Braille oraudio, and also include features that make the resources easier to use and navigate,
such as adjustable font sizes and contrast levels. There are many misconceptions
and barriers to the adoption of iOER, and many are from within the community of
OER advocates themselves. iOER, including a lack of awareness of the existence andavailability of iOER, a lack of understanding of the value of iOER, a lack of technicalskills and knowledge needed to find and use iOER and a lack of support fromeducational and policy makers. Additionally, issues of cost, copyright and quality canalso be barriers to the adoption of iOER. Hence, iOER-enabled environments aredesigned to be flexible and adaptive, allowing learners to adjust their educational

Published by SEAMEO Organization, ISSN 1513-4601 | Editorial Office: SEAMEO Secretariat, 920 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok, Thailand.
Tel: (+662) 3910144 | Fax: (+662) 3812587 | E-mail: secretariat@seameo.org This article is under CC BY-SA License.

Inclusive Future: Leaving No One Behindexperience as needed and sharing content in various formats and across multiple
platforms. Through structured implementation approaches and strong support
from stakeholders, this iOER initiative can be successfully implemented. SEAMEO
SEN, being the regional centre for disability-inclusive education, expresses its
commitment to be a referral centre for iOER among its eleven (11) SEAMEO Member
Countries and beyond.

Keywords: iOER, educational technology, learners with disabilities, disability-inclusive education, OER

Introduction
In today’s rapidly advancing digital age,ensuring the inclusivity and accessibility ofeducation is a pressing issue. ‘Leave No One
Behind: The Solution to an Inclusive Future’embodies the importance of creating equal
opportunities for all learners, regardless of theirindividual needs or challenges.
To achieve an inclusive future, we must
address barriers such as connectivity, parental
involvement, motivation and assessments, witha particular focus on the unique obstacles faced
by students with disabilities. By examining thevarious strategies, resources and tools available
to create an inclusive learning environment,
there are several potential benefits of embracing
OER for fostering equitable access to education.
However, there are general barriers to adopting
technology in education and exploring thespecific challenges faced by students withdisabilities before presenting potential solutions
centred around OERs.
Therefore, it is important to ensure that
education in the digital age is inclusive andaccessible. Connectivity, parental involvement,
reduced motivation and assessments arecommon barriers to the adoption of technology
in education, but students with disabilities also
have their own barriers.

60

Traditionally,learnerswithhearing
impairments using sign language have reliedheavily on teachers to provide context throughexamples. On the other hand, visually impaired
learners, especially those who are born blind,need support to access learning materials (Agesa,
L. 2014). They rely on braille materials that are
not always available at home, especially foryoung learners who are new to assistive devices,such as screen-reading software. Learners withbehavioural and cognitive problems often haveshort attention spans during learning and requirea variety of instructional styles and approaches
to capture their attention.
Thus, when adopting technology for learners
with disabilities, we must consider the types ofaccessibility issues they face. To ensure equitable
and inclusive quality education, educational
content must be made more freely available,
and access to teaching materials and resourcesmust be improved.
Open Educational Resources
Teaching, learning and research materials
in any format, including digital ones, that arein the public domain or have been publishedunder an open licence that allows unrestricted
use, adaptation and redistribution by others
are referred to as OER (Atkins et al., 2007). The

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 59 – 62 (2023)

Fezny Othman, Mohd Zulkarnain Abdul Wahab, Mohd Azlis Sani Md Jalil and Mohamad Shabilullah Abd Hamid

public may access, use, repurpose, adapt andredistribute educational resources under anopen licence that respects the copyright owner’s
intellectual property rights (Creative Commons.,2020).
OER can include full courses, course materials,
modules, student guides, teaching notes,
textbooks, research articles, videos, assessment
tools and instruments, interactive materials
such as simulations and role-plays, databases,
software, apps and any other educationally usefulmaterials. The term ‘OER’ is not synonymouswith online learning, eLearning or mobile
learning. Many OERs, while shareable in digitalformat, are also printable. An open license is astandardised way to grant permission and state
restrictions for accessing, using, repurposing,reusing or redistributing creative work (UNESCO& Commonwealth of Learning, 2015).
Inclusive Open Educational Resources
Inclusive open educational resources (iOER)
have recently attracted significant attention
from stakeholders. An educational resource
known as an iOER is made usable and accessible
to everyone, including students with disabilities,
regardless of their particular requirements orabilities.
iOER can include content and resources in
braille or other accessible formats, as well asfunctions that make them simpler to use andexplore. iOER supports the four OER Compliant
Creative Commons licenses (CC BY, CC BY SA,
CC BY NC, CC BY NC SA) and/or dedicating thework to be public domain (CC0) on all iOER it
owns or co-owns (Ministry of Higher Education
Malaysia.,2020)

It is helpful to consider web accessibility
principles while creating platforms, tools andgadgets. An inclusive and accessible design
may benefit from the principles of POUR.
Perceivable, operable, understandable androbust are abbreviated as POUR (Government
Digital Service.,2017). These guidelines havethe fundamental aim of increasing content
accessibility.
To ensure that learners could understandthe information provided by sight, hearing
or touch, the first principle, perceivable, wasestablished. designing strategies, for instance,
so that visually challenged people can accessvisual content such as photos and charts.
To increase accessibility, digital text can betransformed into various sensory modalities,
such as braille and text-to-speech. The second
principle, operable, attempts to create a variety
of input devices, including a mouse or touchpad,
keyboard, touchscreen and voice recognition
software, capable of using input methods foronline content functioning. The third principle,
intelligible, focuses on providing information
in a manner that is consistent and clear so thateveryone can grasp it. It is crucial to support users
by filling out forms, preventing mistakes andenabling their correction. The fourth principle,
robustness, focuses on ensuring that content iscompatible with all user agents, browsers andassistive technologies.
These principles are relevant to web access but
are more broadly applicable to the developmentof both web-based and non-web-based OER. This
principle helps instill a sound, holistic mindset
when it comes to developing accessible content.
Many OER accessibility checklists and guidelines
have been developed primarily for practitioners

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 59 – 62 (2023)

61

Inclusive Future: Leaving No One Behindfrom academia, many of which are available
online include the configuration of content,
images, links, tables, multimedia, formulas andfont sizes (Coolidge et al., 2018). Many of theseareas are problematic for people with sensory or
learning disabilities who rely on screen readers
or assistive technologies to access OER content.
Web accessibility assessment tools can be used
to check the accessibility of web content byidentifying the elements required to improveaccessibility.

Reference
Agesa, L. (2014). Challenges Faced by Learners with
Visual Impairments in Inclusive Settingin Trans-Nzoia County. Core.ac.uk, 5(29).
https://core.ac.uk/reader/234636400
Atkins, D. E., Brown, J. S., & Hammond, A. L. (2007).
A review of the open educational resources(OER) movement: Achievements, challenges,
and new opportunities.
Coolidge, A., Doner, S., Robertson, T., & Gray, J. (2018).
Accessibility toolkit – 2nd edition. BCcampus.
https://opentextbc.ca/accessibilitytoolkit/

Conclusion
The potential to create an inclusive and fairenvironment for all through the widespread
application of OER is limitless. Ultimately, it
may be possible to design wholly individualised
learning experiences that are accessible tostudents with disabilities throughout the world.
The first step in this process is putting into action
a multi-faceted, coordinated strategy that will
enable OER and its principles of accessibility for
web access.
We hope that educators around the world
will consider embracing OER as a way to pave
their paths to an inclusive future. In doing so,
we will leave no one behind and move into thedigital future with confidence and assurance
that everyone is being included equally in theclassroom environment.

62

Creative Commons (Organization. (2020). Creative
Commons for educators and librarians. Ala
Editions.
Government Digital Service (2017, Oct. 23) POUR:
The 4 principles of accessibility. (2:27) URL:
https://youtu.be/hs8sykCaf3E
Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia. (2020).
iOER: National inclusive open educational
resources

policy.

MinistryofHigher

Education Malaysia.
UNESCO, & Commonwealth of Learning. (2015).
Guidelines for open educational resources
(OER)

in

higherPublishing.

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 59 – 62 (2023)

education.

UNESCOJournal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 63 – 71 (2023)

Technology and Values-Driven Transformationin Educationwww.seameo.org

Does the SEA-Teacher Project Bring New Insights into Education in
Japan?: Lessons Learned from ASEAN’s Experience for Japan
Yoshikazu Tatemoto1 and Kenichi Yoshida1
Senior High School at Sakado, University of Tsukuba, Sakado, Japan

1*Corresponding Author
Yoshikazu Tatemoto
Email:
tatemoto.yoshikaz.fm@un.tsukuba.ac.jpCo-Author(s):Author 2: Kenichi Yoshida
E-mail:yoshida.kenichi.gm@un.tsukuba.
ac.jp

ABSTRACTThis article summarises the significance and challenges of implementing
the SEA-Teacher Project in Japan from the perspective of the Japanesehigh schools that have hosted the pilot project. The Senior High School at
Sakado, University of Tsukuba (UTSS), one of the laboratory schools of the
University of Tsukuba(UT), has accepted the SEA-teacher pilot project on two
occasions. In the first batch pilot project, the pre-service student teachers
were accommodated in English, science and social studies classes, and in thesecond batch pilot project, the pre-service student teachers were acceptedin mathematics, physical education and agricultural science classes. Practicaltraining in the local community was conducted in the agricultural studies
class, during which opportunities for integrating local learning and global
education were identified. Although the SEA-Teacher Project is designed
for pre-service student teachers, it has also proved to be a great learning
experience for the host high school students and teachers in Japan. Japan’s
participation in the SEA-teacher project will be beneficial not only for teachingpractice in Japan but also for ESD and global education in high schools.
Currently, only the UT and its affiliated Sakado High School are participating,but more Japanese universities, as well as primary and secondary schools,
are expected to join in the future.

Keywords: SEA-teacher, high school, global education, ESD, teaching practiceIntroduction
With the acceleration of globalisation, an
increasing number of Japanese high schools
have begun to engage in global education and
Education for Sustainable Development(ESD).

Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology (MEXT) is promoting
the development of global education and ESD inhigh schools through national projects such as

Published by SEAMEO Organization, ISSN 1513-4601 | Editorial Office: SEAMEO Secretariat, 920 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok, Thailand.
Tel: (+662) 3910144 | Fax: (+662) 3812587 | E-mail: secretariat@seameo.org This article is under CC BY-SA License.

SEA-Teacher Project: Insights and Lessons for Japanese Education

the Super Global High School Project (SGH) andthe World Wide Learning (WWL) Consortium.
(University of Tsukuba Education Bureau of theLaboratory Schools, 2023a, 2023b).
However, not all current teachers haveextensive experience in global education and
ESD practices, and they might struggle to copewith students from more diverse backgrounds aswell as function in highly globalised classrooms.
Teacher training programmes at Japanese
universities focus on teaching academic subjects,
and there are few opportunities for teachers
to receive training in global education and ESD
prior to them working in the school setting.
There is an urgent need to train teachers who
can effectively engage in global education and
ESD, and to update training content for current
teachers.
UTSS has been designated as a SGH, andWWL by MEXT and has been implementing
collaborative projects with high schools,
especially in Association of South East Asian
Nations(ASEAN) countries (Tatemoto, 2020).
In this context, UTSS was approached by the
University of Tsukuba to be the host school for
the SEA-teacher pilot project. After internal
discussions, the school decided to accept
the SEA-teacher pilot project, seeing it as avaluable opportunity for Japanese high school
students to directly interact with university
students from ASEAN countries, and for thehigh school to expand its global education and
ESD. After the first acceptance in February
2020, the SEA-teacher pilot project wassuspended for three years due to COVID-19,
but it resumed in February 2023 with thesecond acceptance.

64

This report will first provide a detailed
overview of the two pilot projects. This will befollowed by a summary of the international
network meeting between UTSS and high school
teachers from ASEAN countries that was held
during the implementation the second batch of
the pilot project in Japan. Then, based on the
results of the two pilot projects and meetings,
a discussion of the advantages of continuing
the SEA-teacher pilot project in Japan, as
well as the challenges that can be anticipatedduring the implementation of the project.
Finally, recommendations for the effective
implementation of SEA-teacher in Japan aresummarised.
Overview of SEA-Teacher Pilot ProjectAcceptanceOn both occasions, the university students
lived together in a dormitory in the school
campus. The dormitory had a kitchen that thestudents could use, and they cooked their own
meals.
In the first batch, the students were acceptedin the chemistry, biology, civics and English
departments and special classes on ESD and
Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) were
held in the agriculture and home economics
classes.In the second batch, there was a requestfrom the Philippines for a subject on arts andculture. However, UTSS did not have a full-timeteacher on arts and culture, and thus could notprovide constant guidance. Therefore, following
discussions, it was decided to accept the students
in a class of the agriculture department, as theteachers of the agriculture department were

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 63 – 71 (2023)

Yoshikazu Tatemoto and Kenichi Yoshida

Table 1. Outline of SEA-Teacher Pilot Project at UTSS.
PeriodFirst Batch

Second Batch

6 February to 27 February 2020

6 February to 6 March 2023

Number of students

6
9(Indonesia 2, Thailand 2, The Philippines 2) (Indonesia 3, Thailand 3, The Philippines 3)

Accepted subjects

Biology, Chemistry, English and Social
Studies

Agriculture, Chemistry, English,
Mathematics, Physical Education and Social
Studies

Note: Prepared by the author from records at UTSS(a) Practice at Local Agricultural Festival(b) Lampshade in a Plum Grove Photographs by the author.

Figure 1. Second Batch of Pre-Service Students at the Local Festival.

able to provide guidance on local culture and art(Table 1).
In this class, lessons were held in collaboration
with local farmers, and a local festival was also
held during the training period, where university
students from ASEAN were also invited toparticipate in this festival. At the festival, highschool students made decorative lampshades
using bamboo(Figure 1). In the school lessons,university students from the Philippines
received lessons about the bamboo plant,
which is a common natural resource between
Japan and the Philippines. The lessons provided
opportunities to share the various cultural andartistic topics, and the uses related to bamboo
in the Philippines. Although this was not a purely

artistic and cultural class exercise, it is believed
to have led to a valuable opportunity for theuniversity students to understand different
cultures in Japan and their own country.
At the local festival, the interaction withlocals was an occasion to share and exchange
meaningful ideas, and the possibility ofdeveloping new classes that combine global
education and local exchange was also
identified.
Organisation of Meetings of High School
Teachers from Seven Schools in Four Countries
With the support of MEXT and the AsiaPacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU), aninternational networking meeting for ASEAN-

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65

SEA-Teacher Project: Insights and Lessons for Japanese Education

Table 2. List of Participating Countries and Participating Schools.
Country

School Name

UIS

Indonesia

SMA Kornita IPB●

ThailandKasetsart University Laboratory School

UPI Laboratory Senior High School●●

Khon Kaen University demonstration School
The Philipines

University of the Philipines Rural High School
Central Luzon State University Science High School

S-T H

●
●
●

Note: UIS, UTSS international partner schools; S-T H, SEA-teacher host school.

(a) Meetings for International Networking(b) Classroom Observation Photographs by the author.

Figure 2. High School Teachers’ Meeting and Workshop.

Japan high school teachers from the four
countries was held simultaneously in Japanin February 2023, while the SEA-teacher pilot
project was ongoing(Figure 2). High school
teachers from each country observed the actual
implementation of the SEA-teacher pilot projectin Japan. The participating schools are shown in
Table 2.
The three schools that have an international
partnership agreement with UTSS did notparticipate in the SEA-teacher programme, butthey shared their evaluation and expressed highexpectations about the value of SEA-teacher and66

its effect on global education. In addition, threeschools that have already implemented SEAteacher expressed their desire to participate
in the network between UTSS and schools inIndonesia, Thailand and the Philippines (Table3). In this way, we can expect to see an increasein the number of substantial direct exchanges
between schools across national borders in
the future. Global education that shares eachcountry’s educational resources and integrates
on-site and online education will be promoted
in ASEAN countries and Japan in the near
future.

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 63 – 71 (2023)

Yoshikazu Tatemoto and Kenichi Yoshida

Table 3. Comments from Participating Teachers from Four Countries.
Country

Comments

Indonesia

T1: ‘This partnership program is an excellent program that can be a model for other schools. We
learn from each other. The activities of the program improve and inspire us. And also motivate
us to do continuous improvements that benefit students and the education in general. In the
future, some teachers expect that they can have joint classes with other schools of different
countries, especially in the subject of English, Japanese or Indonesian language. I am quite surethat these joint classes will give great impacts not only to students but also to the school.’
T2: ‘We do really appreciate this program and opportunity to be invited in this honored country.
Our school is glad to be part of the SEA Teacher program receiving pre-service student teacher inour school. Therefore, we also look forward to working and collaborating more and longer in thisprogram. Hence, we also expect that our school could be a sister school of Sakado Senior HighSchool, UTSS in the near future.’

ThailandT1: ‘It’s a good program that provides opportunities for teachers from ASEAN countries andJapan to exchange knowledge with each other. Developing relationships and collaboration on
student exchange. We hope that this relationship will expand further to ensure sustainability.’
T2: ‘We are proud to have the opportunity to participate and be a part of the school partnershipprogram with UTSS that shows ideas and shares discussion with other schools in many countries.
In the future, KKU would like to be a part of the project to develop the student teacher training
and research together.’

The Philippines

T1: ‘It is very wonderful to see the growth of the international exchange programs initiated by
UTSS with its partner schools. With more partners this year, we are excited to see where it leads
us in the future. In particular, we are excited to partake in the SEA Teachers program. We also
like to empower our teachers through this program to cultivate a global mindset.’
T2: ‘The partnership program with partner schools is really inspiring and makes us want toexperience and forge something the same so we could also be on the “race” of the global trend.
The partnership does not only strengthen the bonds between institutions but also, they develop
certain learnings/strategies they can use in the future.’Japan‘In my class, “Muslim student-teacher from Indonesia teaches Islam by using English as a foreign
language for the Non-Muslim Japanese students”. This situation provided a valuable opportunity
for Japanese high school students to live in a globalized society. We would like to continue toensure such opportunities by accepting SEA-teacher students every year.’‘This time, I assisted students living in the school’s dormitory. I was very moved by the sight ofstudents from different countries supporting each other and living together in harmony. I wasvery moved by this scene, and I am grateful to have been involved with SEA-teacher. I wish I had
joined SEA-teacher when I was a university student.’

Note: T1, teachers from UTSS sister school; T2, teachers from SEA-teacher hosting school. Prepared by the author
from a survey of participating teachers.

Significance and Future Challenges forJapanese High Schools to Participate in SEATeacher
Based on the experience of facilitating two
pilot projects, the effects of Japan’s participationin SEA-teacher will be examined from theperspective of the high schools that accepted thePre-service student teachers. In particular, theimpact on high school students, the impact onteachers and the effect on regional cooperation,
which is currently an issue for Japanese highschools, will be discussed.
1. Impacts on High School Students
University students from ASEAN wereinvited to participate in homeroom
activities as well as in the classroom

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67

SEA-Teacher Project: Insights and Lessons for Japanese Education

for about one month, which helped
the high school students gain a better
understanding of the different cultures
and, in turn, develop open-mindedness.
In terms of English language learning,
the students were able to take classes inEnglish from university students who wereclose in age to the high school students.
Moreover, the content and language
integrated learning (CLIL)-like method oflearning about global issues and crosscultural content in English helped tomotivate the high school students to learn
English. Furthermore, the possibility ofmotivating high school students to traveland study abroad was also observed, assome high school students expressed adesire to travel to the country of origin of
the university students.
2. Impacts on High School Teachers
Due to day-to-day work and budgetary
problems, not all teachers are able toreceive training abroad or training on
global education, and hosting ASEAN
students in schools is a training opportunity
for in-service teachers. Simply coming into
contact with ASEAN university students
who support each other across borders
and work hard during their practicaltraining in Japan can be a great stimulus
for teachers in Japan.
3. Impacts on Regional Cooperation
In Japan, the creation of schools thatare open and connected to the local
community is currently being promoted.
The number of foreigners living in Japan isincreasing, and it is necessary to form newcommunities with foreigners in the region

68

and create sustainable local communities.
The participants in the second batch wereable to attend a festival, which is part of therequirements in an agriculture class. On
that occasion, the local people welcomed
the participation of ASEAN students. In
this way, we saw the potential for many
people to deepen exchanges and mutual
understanding, with the high school as astarting point.
As mentioned earlier, the programme has
a lot of significance for Japan, but there aresome issues that need to be resolved in order
to continue the programme. Several reports
on SEA-teachers have pointed out issues
related to English, cross-cultural understanding
and religion (Chrisie & Ariyanti, 2020; Ima &Kewwalee, 2019; Lalu et al., 2020; Sherly & Fitri,
2020; Venna & Achmad, 2021). The timing andpreparation of the programme may also need tobe considered. These two points are discussed
further.
a. Reduced Psychological Barriers to English
and Other Cultures
This is a particular problem for highschool teachers. In Japanese high schools,
there are many cases where the teachers
themselves are not very confident intheir English abilities and may not be
comfortable in cross-cultural exchanges.
This time, an agriculture teacher withno experience of teaching in English
was able to teach ASEAN university
students through collaboration with an
English teacher and the use of an English
translator. During the SEA-teacher pilot
programme, this agriculture teacher

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 63 – 71 (2023)

Yoshikazu Tatemoto and Kenichi Yoshida

showed a more positive change in theirattempts to communicate in English
compared to before. This fact may serve asa good example for other schools in Japan
when they host SEA-teachers.
b. Consideration of Timing of Acceptanceand Prior Guidance
The month of February, when SEA-teacher
is currently taking place, often coincides
with the end of the school year and highschool entrance exams in Japan. Also, in
August, Japan is on summer holiday andcannot accommodate the programme.
Other times of the year should beconsidered to ensure sufficient practicaltraining time. If the participants are
identified early enough, this will allow
time for pre-orientation prior to theirarrival in Japan. For the second batch ofparticipants, an orientation on life in Japanwas conducted via ZOOM. This helped todeepen mutual understanding and help
in the preparation of the pre-service
teachers. Next time, it would be a goodidea to also conduct pre-orientation foreach subject in advance, using ZOOM andother methods.
Suggestions for Promoting SEA-Teacher Projectin JapanIn order to encourage more schools in Japanto participate in SEA-teacher programme in
the future, we would like to propose threerecommendations based on our two experiencesof hosting SEA-teachers.
1. University-Affiliated Schools Act as Hubs
to Promote SEA-Teacher Participation inJapan

A comparison of the content of instruction
in SEA-teachers with Japanese teachingpractice showed no significant differencesin terms of instructional content. It wasalso found that the current teachingpractice system in Japan is a sufficient basefor implementing SEA-teacher in Japan.
The process of creating a lesson plan,delivering the lesson in class, receiving
feedback and reflecting was almost thesame in each country. Most Japanese highschools do not have international networks
with universities abroad. Therefore, it
is expected that university-affiliatedschools in each country will establish aninternational network and play the roleof a hub, connecting universities and highschools across countries.
2. Hosting SEA-Teacher Students During
the Regular Teaching Practice Period inJapan
Currently, the SEA-teacher programme ismainly implemented in January, February,
August and September. In Japan, thismainly takes place in May, June or
September. If the timing of the teachingpractice can be set at the same time, both
Japanese and ASEAN university students
can undertake teaching practice at thesame time. Not all, students are able toundertake teaching practice abroad. Not
all students are able to participate inteaching practice abroad so being able toundertake teaching practice in their own
country with university students fromabroad can be a valuable opportunity.
3. Conducting
Evaluations

Evidence-Based

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 63 – 71 (2023)

Project

69

SEA-Teacher Project: Insights and Lessons for Japanese Education

Using the SEA-teacher programme
as a model, the implementation ofinternational teaching practice in Japan,
with flexible policy development (systemdesign and credit recognition) and financial
support, could lead to the developmentof teachers who can also respond to theglobalisation of Japanese society and help
create a sustainable society. Medium- tolong-term research is needed on (a) the
impact of the SEA-teacher project onteachers and students at the high schoolsthat hosted the training, (b) how students
who joined the SEA-teacher project are
actually making use of their experience inpre-service training in their professional
teaching and (c) whether the international
network gained through participation in
the SEA-teachers is being maintained.

References
Chrisie, U. M., & Ariyanti. (2020). SEA-teacher
students’ perspective: Challenges teaching
English overseas in the Phillipines. Borneo
Educational Journal, 2(1), 14–19.
Ima, W., & Kewwalee, K. (2019). A reflective study
on SEA teacher practice: From Thailand toIndonesia, Tamansiswainternational Journal
In Education And Science, 1(1), 9–14.
Lalu, R. T. S., Lalu, Z., Imam, B., Jannatin, A., Dadi, S.,& Wildan, W. (2020). University of Mataram
in SEA teacher project: Lesson learned fromstudents’ perspectives and self-reflection. In
Proceedings of the 1st Annual Conference on
Education and Social Sciences (Advances in
Social Science, Education and Humanities

Conclusion

Research, 465, 24–26. )As a result of accepting two pilot projects,
it can be concluded that although there aresome issues regarding the timing of acceptanceand prior guidance, the participation in the
SEA-teacher programme has a variety ofpositive impacts to Japanese schools. The
university students from ASEAN were generally
enthusiastic about the practical training, and, inparticular, the way they supported each otheracross national borders gave many suggestions
to the students and teachers of the schools that
hosted them. In the future, we would like toshare the results of the two pilot projects withother Japanese schools and encourage them toparticipate in SEA-teachers in Japan. We would
also like to conduct a follow-up survey of thestudents who participated in the pilot project in

70

Japan and study the effects of the project overthe medium- to long term.

Sherly, R., & Fitri, K. (2020). Voicing the unvoiced
Indonesian SEA teacher teaching in thePhilippines: A phenomenological study.
International

JournalofInnovation,

Creativity and Change, 12(6), 45–55.
Tatemoto, Y. 2020 Building international learning
networks for ESD and SDGs: A case study ofcollaboration among high schools in Japanand ASEAN. Journal of Southeast Asian
Education, 2, 99–108.
University of Tsukuba Education Bureau of theLaboratory Schools. (2023a). Outline ofsuper global high school program. Retrieved
23 April 2023, from https://sgh.b-wwl.jp/en
University of Tsukuba Education Bureau of theLaboratory

Schools.

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About

Yoshikazu Tatemoto and Kenichi Yoshida

worldwide learning consortium. Retrievedin SEA teacher project. In Proceedings of the

23 April 2023, from https://b-wwl.jp/base_

Fifth International Conference on Language,

en/

Literature, Culture, and Education (Advances

Venna, S. N. N., & Achmad, B. M. (2021). Indonesianpre-service teachers’ intercultural awarenessin Social Science, Education and Humanities
Research, 595, 695–701.

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 63 – 71 (2023)

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Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 72 – 91 (2023)

Technology and Values-Driven Transformationin Educationwww.seameo.org

Unplugged Computational Thinking with Colouring Books
Roberto Araya1 and Masami Isoda2
Institute of Education, University of Chile
Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba

1
2*Corresponding Author
Roberto Araya
Email:
roberto.araya.schulz@gmail.com
Co-Author(s):Author 2: Masami Isoda
E-mail:isoda.masami.gb@u.tsukuba.ac.jp

ABSTRACT
Large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Bard are generating a huge
impact on the nature of work and education. LLMs are efficiently writing text andcomputer code. It is then necessary to focus education on the skills needed in thisnew scenario. One such key skill is computational thinking. It contains algorithmic
thinking, computational modelling and machine learning. For elementary school
students, we propose the Unplugged Computational Thinking Using Colouring books(UCTUC) strategy. UCTUC teaches three core skills. First, students learn to colour
images following pseudocode instructions specified with first-order propositional
logic, existential and universal quantifiers, recursion and probabilities. Second,
students learn to write pseudocode instructions for colouring making sure theirclassmates understand the pseudocode. Third, they learn metacognitive skills to
produce written argumentations explaining their pseudocode. Moreover, they also
develop values, attitudes and habits such as beauty and simplicity of arguments,
develop explanations and a genuine appreciation for the ideas of others. Basedon preliminary experience using UCTUC with first to fourth graders, we sketch an
implementation plan. Start producing localised mini videos showing students inclassrooms using colouring books. Next, create guidelines for teachers and parents.
Then, build a lesson study community to develop and scale the UCTUC strategy.

A first AI tsunami has Arrived
Critical predictions for the next 20 years include
climate change, new pandemics and growing
inequality. However, artificial intelligence (AI) isalready having an even greater impact (Araya,
2021e; Araya, 2023a; Bostrom, 2014; MacAskill,2022; Hinton, 2023). In November 2022, theChatGPT tsunami arrived. We are now in the
middle of turbulent waters of a great culturaltransformation provoked by AI.
A major challenge is how to navigate our way
to such a smart society. Intelligent systems are
rapidly starting to do intelligent tasks typical of

Published by SEAMEO Organization, ISSN 1513-4601 | Editorial Office: SEAMEO Secretariat, 920 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok, Thailand.
Tel: (+662) 3910144 | Fax: (+662) 3812587 | E-mail: secretariat@seameo.org This article is under CC BY-SA License.

Roberto Araya and Masami Isoda

highly educated workers (Bubeck et al., 2023;
Eloundou et al., 2023). For example, ChatGPT
is already giving better and more empathetic
medical diagnoses than doctors (Ayers et al.,2023). Another LLM, CancerGPT, is giving advice
in drug combination therapy for cancer in rare
conditions. In many cases, CancerGPT provides a
combination of drugs that have better treatment
outcomes than single-drug therapy.
Thus, we urgently need to understandthe irruptive AI phenomenon, look for theopportunities it can offer us, and teach to thinkand learn with these new AI tools
Why Computational Thinking?
We are experiencing the explosive irruptionof AI, and in particular, natural language
processing (NLP) tools such as large language
models (LLMs). These are apps like ChatGPT,
GPT-4, You, Llama, Bard, etc. They are starting to
generate a huge impact on the nature of workand education. With them, we can delegate to
the AI the cognitive tasks of system 1. These are
the fast and less conscious processes according
to the dual cognitive process classification
proposed by the Nobel prize Daniel Kahnenan(Kahneman, 2011; Stanovich, 2016). Not only
are these innate tasks. They include tasks thatafter training and practice, we do automaticallywithout much conscious effort. For example,
tasks like transcribing speech to text, detecting
visual or audio patterns, writing paragraphs,
summarising, translating between languages,
translating ideas into images and translatingideas into computer code.
Computational models are at the base of
these transformations. Therefore, the particularmode of thinking of computational thinking(CT) is key. However, in addition to system
1 type of fast processing, there are morecognitively demanding tasks. These require
slower and deeper system 2 processing skills.
For example, CT skills with deeper connection
to mathematical thinking. This means designingalgorithms, devising computational models, andlearning and discovering with machine learning
methods (Isoda et al., 2021; Arayaet al., 2020).
Even though CT is a radically different way
to think about the world and solve problems,in the end, it is a form of mathematical thinking(Isoda et al., 2012; Araya et al., 2020; Inprasitha
et al., 2023). This means that mathematics
educators are primarily responsible for leading
the required educational transformation.
On previous research, we proposed Figure 1
as for curriculum framework by APEC InMside
Project (Araya & Isoda, 2021). In this proposal,
the computational modelling is one of thethree pillars of the curriculum. It is key for thedevelopment for CT.
Why Unplugged Computational Thinking?
One of the most affected professions by
AI is that of the computer programmer. LLMs
are already writing code. They can do it inany programming language. Moreover, they
are programming with increasing efficiency(Eloundou et al., 2023; Naughton, 2023). LLMs
are starting to do in seconds what it takes
legions of human programmers to do in hours
or days. This is a phenomenon similar to the useof computers in arithmetic. The computer sums,
multiplies, subtracts and divides much fasterthan humans do it, and does it without errors.

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73Unplugged Computational Thinking with Colouring Books

Figure 1. Curriculum framework for computational thinking

Similarly, the computer now programs much
faster and with fewer error codes. In addition,
it documents, explains and tests the programs.
What we must concentrate on is teaching
how to create efficient instructions. Theseshould be instructions directly expressed in thenatural language of humans. For example, theinstruction “colour the hat red”, or “add thenumbers from 1 to 10”. Computer scientists
call these types of instructions pseudocodes.
After learning to program and with enoughpractice, translating from pseudocode to code
corresponds to a cognitive system 1 task. It
is similar to the translation that a bilingual
individual does from one language to another.
After some training and practice, the individual
does it automatically without consciously

74

thinking about it. LLMs also do it. Nevertheless,
LLMs write code much more efficiently. LLMs,
in less than a second, can translate altogether
thousands of different pseudocodes in precise
computer codes. For example, after the
instruction: “write the code in BASIC for the sumfrom 1 to 10”, Bard response is:
DIM sum AS INTEGER
sum = 0
FOR i = 1 TO 10
sum = sum + i
NEXT i
PRINT sumMoreover, it can be done in any programming
language. If you ask Bard to write the code in
Python instead, then Bard responds:

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Roberto Araya and Masami Isoda

def sum_of_numbers(n):sum = 0for i in range(1, n + 1):
sum += ireturn sum
print(sum_of_numbers(10))
Translation is similar to the work done by
the compiler of a programming language such
as C, Java, or Python. The compiler translates
the instructions into machine language. No one
programs in machine language anymore. The
compiler does the translation job.
In addition, LLMs can review code, fix it,
improve it, rewrite it, explain it and write
comments according to the level specified by
the user. For example, in the previous example,
if you ask Bard to explain the code, it writes:
The first line defines a function called
sum_of_numbers(). This function takes aninteger as input and returns the sum of thenumbers from 1 to that integer.
The next few lines define the body of thefunction. The first line initialises a variable
called sum to 0. This variable will be used
to store the sum of the numbers. The nextline uses a for loop to iterate from 1 to the
input integer. In each iteration, the valueof i is added to sum. Finally, the value ofsum is returned.
The last line calls the sum_of_numbers()
function with the number 10 as input. The
output of the function is then printed tothe console.
Here is a more detailed explanation of thecode:

The def keyword is used to define afunction.
The sum_of_numbers() is the name of thefunction.
The () after the function name indicatesthat the function takes an input.
The i is the name of the variable that will
be used to iterate over the numbers.
The range() function is used to createa sequence of numbers. In this case,the sequence will go from 1 to the input
integer.
The += operator is used to add the value ofi to the variable sum.
The return statement is used to return thevalue of the function.
The print() function is used to print thevalue of the function to the console.
I hope this explanation is helpful. Let meknow if you have any other questions.
It is then necessary to focus education onwhat society really needs for the next 10–20
years. These are more cognitively demanding
and innovative tasks that use system 2. These
are non-autonomous and distinctively humanprocessing performed by our algorithmic andreflective mind. These processes include theinitiation of mental simulation, decouplingthem from the current processing triggeredby information received by our perception
systems, argumentation considering different
points of views, devising deep explanations,avoiding overconfidence and myside biases
and a profound and meticulous evaluation ofarguments. This means an actively open-minded

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75

Unplugged Computational Thinking with Colouring Books

thinking (Stanovich et al., 2023). One exampleof these innovative and demanding thinking
skills is CT. This means, designing and testingalgorithms, designing computational modes andbuilding machine-learning solutions to solvea problem are complex tasks. These thinking
skills are different to the traditional thinking
skills needed in the traditional agricultural andindustrial societies. They are the core skills of
the curriculum framework for CT (Figure 1), andthe heart of writing and testing pseudocode.
They require conscious work and effort. They
are system 2 cognitive processes.
Several researchers and practitioners havebeen proposing unplugged CT as a strategy
to start developing CT. For example, they
are a central strategy in the initiatives ofsome Universities (University of Canterbury,
University of Waikato; Queen Mary Universityof London). They have been used in primaryschool (Olmo-Muñoz, 2020; Tsortanidou et al.,2022), and in integration with science and STEM
(Araya, 2023b; Peel et al., 2021). However, since
LLMs can write code, we should concentrate on
teaching to write pseudocode. This is exactly
unplugged CT.
What Exactly is Pseudocode?
Pseudocode is a plain language descriptionof the steps in an algorithm. It focuses only on
the CT part of the code development. It is a
general way of describing algorithms that avoids
getting mired in the details of a specific language(Compeau, 2023).
Today, the work of professional programmers
is changing radically (Castelvecchi, 2022; Li etal., 2022). They must focus on the ideas and76

algorithms. Then, they have to describe theseideas and algorithms in natural language. Thismeans precise instructions, but written in alanguage closer to the natural language withwhich we communicate between humans.
This is the pseudocode. Later, the programmer
specifies the particular programming language
where the LLM has to translate the pseudocode
into computer code.
In teaching CT, the impact of LLMs is enormous.
LLMs, such as ChatGPT or Bard, can write codevery efficiently. Thus, rather than writing code ina specific programming language, what is criticalis specifying the core ideas and algorithms. Thatis, writing “pseudocode”. Therein lies now thevalue of a good programmer. The translation intocode is a task automatically executed by LLMs.
Why Colouring Books?
We propose to implement Unplugged
Computational Thinking (UCT) lessons using
colouring books (Figure 2). Colouring activities
can be easily adapted to teach CT (Araya,
2021a). They are a powerful strategy to teach,read, write and assess pseudocodes. In the left
figure, the student is introduced to universal
and existential quantifiers. In the right side,
the student has to propose an instruction using
these types of logic quantifiers.
The proposed UCTUC strategy is an extension
and enhancement of a pilot plan started in2019 (Araya, 2021a). There is initial evidence
that they are a powerful teaching, learning andassessment tool (Inharjanto et al., 2019; Pinto etal., 2019). They are very attractive and engaging
for students, and they are easy to include inclassroom settings.

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Roberto Araya and Masami Isoda(a) In each box colour blue at least two balls		 (b) Write your instructions
Figure 2. Page A with pseudocode colouring instructions. Page B, where students write a pseudocode.

Moreover, colouring books are very
attractive to everyone. They also easily engage
adults. A proof of this is that nine out of thetwenty-bestseller books on Amazon’s 2015 list
were colouring books (NYPost, 2015). They
connect with art, recreation and play. They
highlight the beauty and simplicity of ideas
and argumentation. In addition, they decreasestress and increase relaxation (Ashdown, 2018;
Mantzios et al., 2018; Kaimal et al., 2017).
We propose three activities for teaching CT
to elementary school students.
Page A: Read Pseudocode and Paint
irst, students use page A of the colouring
book (Figure 2a). In this page, they learn tofollow precise logical instructions to colour apicture. This means learning to understandand follow pseudo-code instructions. The
instructions in the colouring book include four
core CT competencies: first order propositional
logic, existential and universal quantifiers,
recursion, and probabilities (reasoning under
uncertainty).
The instructions also include several coremathematical thinking ideas like well-known
spatial algorithms (Araya, 2021b), mathematicalcontents according to the curriculum,
mathematical modelling and problem solving(Inprasitha et al., 2023; Araya et al., 2021). They
include activities with recursive figures, Turingmachines, probabilistic machines, characters´dialogs in order to find and colour hidden objects

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77Unplugged Computational Thinking with Colouring Books

Figure 3. The teacher hangs up the students’ colouring
activity papers.

using logic implication from propositions, andagent-based computational models (Araya,
2021b; Araya, 2022).
Page B: Write Pseudocode

Metacognition

Second, students use page B of the colouring
book (Figure 2b). In this page, they learn towrite and test pseudo codes for colouring
images. They write instructions using first orderpropositional logic, existential and universal
quantifiers, recursion, and probabilities. They
have to use this type of instructions and develop
their creativity to write their pseudocode on
how to colour images (Araya, 2021a).

Third, the colouring book asks students towrite explanations on how they interpreted the
instructions and how they colour the images. The
book also introduces the use of a hand puppet
so that the student can talk with it and discuss
before writing how they painted and how theysolved the problem (Figure 4). The conversation
with the puppet helps refine the instructions
before writing them down. The strategy is tohelp the student develop argumentation andmetacognitive skills, help with the internalizationand internalization of dialogic processes andfoster the dialog with their inner voice.

Then classmates receive the pseudo codeand use it to colour. Next, they both discuss andassess the instruction and the correctness of thecolouring.
In a next step, the teacher promotes thediscussion of the pseudocodes written and thecorresponding colouring of the images. For
this, we propose that the teacher shows, likein a museum, on the blackboard, all the pages
with the pseudocodes and their corresponding
coloured images (Figure 3).

78

Figure 4. A student reading the instruction andtalking with his puppet before colouring and writing
explanations

In this internalisation process, the hand puppet
helps to auto-regulate, develop inner speech
and write coherent argumentations (Figure 5).
It supports the transition from social speech toa second stage of private speech, and finally to athird stage of inner speech (Vigotsky, 1978). Thisis the transformation of an interpersonal process
into an intrapersonal process. According to Fox &Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 72 – 91 (2023)

Roberto Araya and Masami Isoda

Figure 5. The internalisation process illustrated in four stages

Riconcente (2008), for Vygotsky, “metacognitionand self-regulation are completely intertwined;
the intentionality implied by self-regulation
requires consciousness and the control requiredfor consciousness implies self-regulation”. The
puppet is a tool for cultivating this connection.
Several scholars (Bråten, 1993; Fuhs et al.,2011; Zakin, 2007) see Vygotsky conception as aprecursor to Metacognition theories.
Argumentation is one of the core skills in
the curricula, and it is a key to metacognition.
However, it is very difficult for students due tothe complex thinking required when explaining
their reasoning behind solving problems. In
UCTUC, the hand puppet is a tool to develop
this metacognitive skill. As discussed by(Graziano, 2019), we attribute consciousness toventriloquism with inanimate puppets. Similarly,
the puppet that resides within us represents
our consciousness. It is a model of the self thatthe brains construct and it is the base of ourmetacognition skills.
UCTUC Platform
The goal is to build and cultivate a community
for the implementation of the Unplugged
Computational Thinking Using Colouring-books(UCTUC) strategy. Colouring book can be an
excellent resource for teachers (Araya, 2021c)
and parents (Araya, 2021d) to help develop CT
and problem-solving skills in their students.
However, it is critical to develop, build andcultivate a Lesson Study community actively

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79Unplugged Computational Thinking with Colouring Books

implementing, developing and innovating withcolouring books for CT. The community should
rigorously assess its effect and explore newopportunities with colouring books. For thispurpose, it is very helpful to implement an
online support platform (Araya, 2020a; Araya,
2020b; Urrutia et al., 2022; Urrutia et al., 2023).
In our experience, such online platforms shouldreport on real time the level of adoption, thetype of colouring activity used, the coherence of
the written argumentations of students, and thecoverage of the national curriculum. This type of
platform helps to disseminate better practices.
UCTUC Implementation Plan
Based on a couple of years of experience with
UCTU with first to fourth-graders, we propose an
implementation plan. Start producing localised
mini videos showing students and classrooms
using colouring books. Next, create guidelines
for teachers and parents. Then, build a lesson
study community to develop and scale theUCTUC strategy.
In more detail, the plan is the following:
1. Localised mini videos• Translate the existing colouring books• Write a plan and first draft of aguidebook for teachers, and anotherfor parents.
• Pilot in two schools a lesson study.
One for first graders and another for
fourth graders. Record in video andproduce 2-minute videos as shown inthe corresponding videos.
• Produce 2-minute videos with kids athome and with parents as shown in thecorresponding videos

80

2. UCTC guidebooks for teachers• Produce new version of the guidebooks• Produce a teacher development activity
as shown in the corresponding video.
Produce a 2-minute video• Produce the final guidebooks
3. UCTUC Lesson Study community• Develop a UCTUC platform• Produce a massive open class eventto launch the community with theparticipation of principals and teachers• Record video and produce a 2-minutevideo of the launching event.
• Start scaling
Adaptation to Mathematical Thinking
Developments
CT is indeed part of Mathematical thinking.
From the perspective of MathematicalThinking literacy and curriculum framework
for mathematics education, such as SEA-BES:
CCRLS for Mathematics on Figure 6 (Isoda et al.,2023), CT can be seen as a part of mathematics
education.
As Figure 6 shows, students learn anddevelop mathematical thinking throughreflective processes, and cultivate mathematicalvalues through appreciation of the reflective
process. In the strict sense of mathematics
education, the learning contents up to thesecondary school level are fixed on the content
threads of the Key Stages 1 to 3. However, themeaning of mathematics in ancient Greece isany content learning that promotes logical andphilosophical thinking. From this perspective,
the task of colouring the A page is a way of
thinking, and the task of the Bs pages provides
an opportunity to explore ways of thinking and

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Roberto Araya and Masami Isoda

Figure 6. Revised Edition of SEABES: CCRLS Mathematics Framework (Isoda et al 2023)

to promote reflection and appreciation of theway of thinking and values.
One value that colouring books genuinely
promote is the idea of simplicity. This type ofbook, which combines art and the playful activityof painting with coloured pencils, highlights thegreat value in describing and communicating thecentral ideas of mathematics and computation
in a simple way. It reinforces the value that
simple and easy is better and more powerful.
Colouring books develop an aesthetic sense,
typical of the visual arts. In the colouring

activities, the student combines this perceptual
sense with the simplicity and attractivenessof the ideas. It helps promote values suchas beauty and harmony into computationaland mathematical thinking. As Hardy (1940)highlights, ‘The mathematician’s patterns, likethe painter’s or the poet’s, must be beautiful;the ideas, like the colours or the words, must fit
together in a harmonious way’.
In addition, attitudes like Pose Questions andDevelop Explanations are central in the SEABES:CCRLS Mathematics Framework (Figure 6).

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81Unplugged Computational Thinking with Colouring Books

Figure 7. Students have to find the hidden object using propositional logic of first order, and hen write explaining theirthinking process to solve the problem.

82

These attitudes play a key role in the colouring
activities. In the book for fourth graders, students
have to explain their solutions and write their
explanation in their own words, as indicated in
the arrow in Figure 7.

and appreciation of the way of thinking ofothers.

Page Bs of the colouring book promotes
the attitude of Appreciate the Other´s Ideas
and Change Representations for Meaningful
Elaborations. On pages B, which has the sameimages as on page A, students imagine andpropose a new problematic situation. Then,classmates must read them, interpret them,colour them and write their own explanations.
On page B, students have to connect with theirclassmates, understand them, and try somemind reading. These B pages promote reflection

The task sequence of Colouring book starts
with learning the way of thinking at task A. Thencontinues with task B. This second task asks
students to pose similar questions by and forthemselves. This is the same strategy proposedby Isoda and Katagiri (2012). Figure 8 is an
example on its Spanish edition by Araya (2016).
The example teaches the notion of mathematicalvalue as a component of mathematical thinking
as described on SEA-BES: CCRLS (Isoda, 2019,

Extension for Learning Traditional Content in
School Mathematics

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Roberto Araya and Masami Isoda

Figure 8. Task sequence to develop mathematical thinkingp46). In this example, Task 1 is 37 × 3 and Task
2 is 15873 × 7. At the moment that the students
find the answer of Task 2, which is 111111, theyreflect on the process of Task 1 and appreciate
the discussion of Task 1. Thus, they can imagine
by and for themselves the solution of Task 1,
which is 37 x 3 = 111, and its generalisations. It
is the moment of metacognition with analogicalreasoning.

Figure 8 consists of Tasks 1, 2 and 3. Task 3
asks the student to pose a question and analog
to the previous. In the teacher training, Isoda etal. (2023, pp. 1–2) explained the keys to develop
mathematical thinking, that the ideas and waysof thinking could be learned at the momentsof the reflection of process, and the value andattitude could be learned as the appreciationof thinking and ideas on the reflection. Task 2

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83Unplugged Computational Thinking with Colouring Books

Figure 9. Reflect Task 1 and 2 through asking students to pose question at Task 3.

in Figure 7 and Task 3 in Figure 8 provide themoments of reflection. For the development ofmathematical thinking, Isoda et al. explained
the process in the real-world context and themathematical context given by task sequence.
These task sequences provide the mathematicalcontext. On the other hand, most of the examples
in Colouring book provide task sequence forreal-world context. It will provide the object ofmathematization in upper school. For example,
Tasks in Figure 2 provide the object for matrix,
transformation, number of cases and so on.
The colouring book format is flexible enoughto incorporate and promote the mathematicalthinking that the standard mathematics
curriculum prescribes. For example, figure 10

84

on the left presents a colouring activity that
promotes the use of the representation of
numbers on the number line, where theoperations are translations on it, which can also
be fractions. This is a core representation of
numbers and operations.
The activity on the right promotes not only
recursive thinking but also introduces thestudent to the process of abstraction of thecharacteristics of many phenomena related withmotions of particles and organisms. It proposesa mechanism for selecting trajectories (Araya,
2021b). The activity is a first step to develop
a mathematical model as a potential. It is acentral part of the Theory of Potential, whichis central in mathematics, and widely used in

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 72 – 91 (2023)

Roberto Araya and Masami Isoda

Figure 10. Left, number line representation colouring task. Right, recursive reasoning and steepest local ascentalgorithm colouring activity.

physics (gravitation and electromagnetism),chemistry (chemotaxis) and biology. In addition,
the activity introduces the student to thealgorithm of steepest local ascent or descent. In
the continuous case, the gradient algorithm iswell-known. This is an algorithm widely used inengineering and machine learning.
Figure 11, on the left, poses a probability
problem in an emotionally charged situation. Thissituation has turned out to be very attractive forstudents. It introduces the student to Decision
Theory. The student has to justify her own
decisions in a rigorous mathematical language,
establishing a bridge between emotions andmathematical reasoning. Finally, the student has
to mathematically evaluate the consequences
and select the best decision.

The example of Figure 11 on the rightpromotes the mathematization of a veryfrequent problem in daily life, where we face
two options: one decision with a potential of big
gain or big loss, or a sequence of micro decisions
with bounded values of gains and losses.
Interestingly, in the end, the amounts involved
are exactly equal. This is an exercise in statisticalthinking. It requires a deep comprehension of
statistics and probability. The activity introduces
the student to the Law of Large Numbers. Thisis one of the central theorems of Probability
Theory, and it is a theorem that establishes abridge between probability and statistics.
Colouring book is developed for elementary
school students, the tasks can be applicable forupper school level up to the University level.

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 72 – 91 (2023)

85

Unplugged Computational Thinking with Colouring Books

Figure 11. Left, Probability colouring activity. Right, Probability and Statistics colouring activity related to the law oflarge numbers

Figure 12. Progress of Representation and Models through Extension of Numbers

Indeed, the left of Figure 10 can be seen as
positive and negative numbers if the middle ofthe place defined as origin. Such perspectives
can be given by not only mathematics in upper86

level but also the other subjects such as Physics(figure 12). On this mean, Colouring book
activities provide the object for future-leaning
in upper school level.

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Roberto Araya and Masami Isoda

Conclusion

Araya, R. (2023b). Connecting classrooms with

The arrival of LLMs makes us rethinkeducation. LLMs, such as ChatGPT, that canwrite code very efficiently, in any programming
language. In addition, LLMs can review code, fix,
improve, rewrite, explain, and write comments
according to the level specified by the user.
It is therefore central to rethink what toteach. Rather than writing code in a specificprogramming language, what is critical isspecifying the core ideas and algorithms. Thatis, write “pseudocode”. Therein lies the value ofa good programmer.
The proposed Unplugged Computational
Thinking Using Coloring-books (UCTUC) strategy
focuses on developing pseudocode, andassessing it with peers. It is very attractive tostudents; it helps develop computational andmathematical thinking, foster metacognitive
skills, and easily adapt to the classroom andhome environments. It is also a powerful didactic
strategy to foster the mathematics values,
attitudes and habits needed for a complete
development of human character.

online inter-class tournaments: A strategy
to imitate, recombine and innovate teachingpractices.

Sustainability,

15(10),

8047

https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108047
Araya, R. (2022). Is it feasible to teach agent-based
computational modelling to elementaryand middle school students? Proceedingsof the Singapore National Academy of
Science. https://www.worldscientific.com/
doi/10.1142/S2591722622400063
Araya R. (2021a). Gamification strategies to teachalgorithmic thinking to first graders. In S.
Nazir, T. Z. Ahram, W. Karwowski (Eds.)
Advances in Human Factors in Training,
Education, and Learning Sciences. AHFE
2021. Lecture Notes in Networks andSystems, vol 269. Springer. https://doi.
org/10.1007/978-3-030-80000-0_16
Araya, R. (2021b). Enriching elementary schoolmathematical learning with the steepest
descent algorithm. Mathematics, 9, 1197.
https://doi.org/10.3390/math9111197
Araya, R. (2021c). A collective brain to adapt teaching
to quarantined first and second graders.
Interaction Designs & Architecture(s), N. 47,

Acknowledgments
Support from ANID/PIA/Basal Funds forCentres of Excellence FB0003, and JSPS
19K21743, 20K02745 and 23K1758 are gratefully
acknowledged.

Winter 2020-21. pp. 7–26.
Araya R. (2021d). A territorial learning ecosystemfor parents’ participation and cooperation.
In: Ó. Mealha, M. Rehm, & T. Rebedea(Eds.), Ludic, co-design and tools supporting
smart learning ecosystems and smart

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Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 92 – 103 (2023)

Technology and Values-Driven Transformationin Educationwww.seameo.org

Formative Assessment for Human Character Formation in the Case of
Mathematics Education: Self-realisation in Problem Posing Class
Masami Isoda1 and Huajing Liu1
University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

1*Corresponding Author
Masami Isoda
Email: isodamasami@yahoo.co.jp
Co-Author(s):Author 2: Huajing Liu
E-mail: huajing.liu@outlook.com

ABSTRACTThis article explores how the teacher’s formative assessment is going in themathematical problem posing class, and the effectiveness of the teacher’s formative
assessment on students’ self-realisation which may be achieved through theinteraction in mathematics class. For exploration, this study focused self-realisationfrom the perspective of self-efficacy as non-cognitive skills in relation to theemergence of competitive and sympathetic attitudes in the mathematical problem
posing class and how different students’ belief in mathematics affected theirperformance in the class. On the objective, this article reanalysed the video (Isoda& Abe, 1994). Through the reanalysis of video, this article illustrates how assessment
for teaching is necessary for human character formation in mathematics class,explaining self-efficacy as a necessary component to enhance the human characterand self-realisation in class is necessary to develop self-efficacy in mathematics class.

Keywords: mathematical problem solving, problem posing, facial expression, emotion, self-efficacy

Introduction
Formative assessment plays a role in both
improving teaching quality and increasing
student engagement in the classroom.
Formative assessment, which is usually defined
as a systematic process to continuously gather
evidence and provide feedback about learning
while instruction is underway (Heritage et al.,2009) and MEXT, Japan, call it as Assessment
for Teaching (Shidou to Hyouka: Instruction
and Assesment) (Ministry of Education, 1951,

1993). Formative assessment for teaching
involves providing students with necessary
feedback to promote their performance during
an instructional process and enable them
towards the next steps in their learning basedon diagnosis for supporting the learning (Wiliam& Thompson, 2008).
Takahashi and Kageyama (2021) state thatformative assessment as an assessment ofteaching is as follows: “The student develops

Published by SEAMEO Organization, ISSN 1513-4601 | Editorial Office: SEAMEO Secretariat, 920 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok, Thailand.
Tel: (+662) 3910144 | Fax: (+662) 3812587 | E-mail: secretariat@seameo.org This article is under CC BY-SA License.

Masami Isoda and Huajing Liu

his/her self-assessment standards and a visionof his/her future, a vision of who he/shewants to be, through teacher’s instruction andassessment. Students will become learners andindependent thinkers when they become awareof their own increased talents and the value ofsound reasoning.”
Havnes et al. (2012) wanted to explore howformative assessment information is received
and attended to between teachers and students.
They collected quantitative survey data (groupinterviews) from three schools. They havefound that there are four classroom situations
that are rich in feedback opportunities: “(1) theteacher works through a test or assignment
when returning these to the students after
corrections, (2) student presentations ofprojects, (3) group work and (4) discussions
between the teacher and the students”. Even
though the study is typical with deep analysis of
the data such as class description and interviews
for the research on the formative assessment,
it does not describe how concrete teachers’
formative assessment is going on in the usualclass as for the assessment for the objectives in
the class by mathematics teachers.
Heckman (2001) focused on the necessity
to develop non-cognitive skills from earlychildhood; however, besides cognitive skills
can be quantified using achievement tests,
non-cognitive skills cannot be measured
numerically. On SEAMEO Basic Education
Standards SEA-BES: Common Core Regional
Learning Standards CCRLS (Mangao et al.,2017; Isoda et al., 2019), one component of
the standards framework for the objective ofteaching mathematics is ‘Mathematical Values,
Attitudes and Habits for Human Character (p.5).’

However, most assessment research is focusedon the achievement of cognitive skills and it is
not clear what human character formation is
ongoing in the typical classroom even if it was
written in the curriculum standards. Teachers
do the assessment for teaching in their class byobserving every student’s activity such as facial
expressions, attitudes, and so on (Isoda&Abe,
1994). However, we usually focus on measurable
aspects even through formative assessment. In
this study, to avoid the confusion of assessment
which focus on various measurable aspect up
to pre and post-tests, we use the term for theassessment for teaching in the class under theobjective of the teacher.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation
and Development (Ikesako, H., & Miyamoto,K.,2015) also enhanced the importance of noncognitive skills in education and defined “socialemotional skills” as non-cognitive skills statingthat “the ability to learn and human nature”.
Skills are terminology used for curriculum andin psychological and assessment contexts. They
are also called abilities.
For illustrating the assessment for teachingunder these perspectives, this study reanalyses
the video of the lesson study by Isoda &Abe (1994) in the case of problem posing toillustrate the teachers’ conduct formative
assessments in the class under the objective
and how does it function for knowing anddeveloping non-cognitive ability. To promote
the practice of Human Character Formationin mathematics classes through reanalysing
the video, this paper focuses on: 1) how theteacher conduct assessment for teaching in themathematic problem posing class. 2) by theteacher’s assessment of teaching, students’

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93Formative Assessment for Human Character Formation in the Case of Mathematics Education

self-realisations in the class are a part of thedevelopment of human character throughmathematics can be seen from students’attitudes on the assessment for teaching,
and their beliefs and cognitive skills are also
necessary to consider.
Originally, Isoda & Abe’s (1994) proposed theassessment for teaching through the observationof students’ facial expressions by teachers.
On the reanalysis, this paper focused more on
how teachers’ formative assessment affects
students’ self-realisation in relation to theircompetitive and sympathetic attitude as well
as functions of students’ belief in mathematics
which is emergent in their learning process intheir class.
Two Factors for Students’ Self-realisation:
Competitive and Sympathic Attitudes
According to the SEA-BES: CCRLS in
Mathematics and Science (2017), the humanistic
nature of mathematics can be understood by thecompetitive attitude to establish new ideas andthe sympathetic attitude to understand othersfor sharing (p.2).
Under assessment for teaching in theclassroom by mathematics teachers who
conduct student activity in the classes, students
challenge today’s given task by teachers andrecognise their own objective as for what
they want to be, and then, self-realize by andfor themselves through their achievement
and it is a part of human character formationin mathematics (Isoda & Kageyama, 2021).
Especially in the classroom, students’ selfrealisation is achieved by using their cognitive
and non-cognitive skills.

94

Non-cognitive ability has two aspects: One
is self-ability such as self-efficacy and selfconfidence, and another one is social abilities
such as sympathy and cooperativeness which
are necessary for collaborating with others. Selfefficacy was proposed by Albert Bandura (1977),
which means “the belief in one’s capability
to organise and execute the courses of action
required to manage prospective situations” andis crucial for goal setting. Bandura (1986, 1990)
distinguishes between self-efficacy and selfconfidence: self-confidence refers to firmness
or strength of belief but does not specify its
direction; self-efficacy implies that a goalhas been set. Self-efficacy is a part of humancharacter and self-realisation is necessary todevelop self-efficacy.
Even though self-efficacy is related toboth competitive and sympathetic attitudes,
the mathematical activity itself is moreconcerned with competitive attitudes because
mathematicians who posed really innovativeand outstanding ideas in mathematical discovery
are respected as long as understandable forothers (Managao et al., 2017). Depending on
Bandura, Self-efficacy can be broadly classified
into two categories: “task-specific self-efficacy”
and “generalized self-efficacy”. General selfefficacy is an individual’s perception of hisor her ability to perform across a variety ofsituations. Task-specific self-efficacy investigates
an individual’s perception of his or her
ability to perform actions specific to a given
circumstance. The existence of two types ofself-efficacy: personal, or expectations basedon a standard of performance that is internallyderived, and competitive, or expectations basedon a standard of performance that is externally

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Masami Isoda and Huajing Liu

derived (Taylor, 1989). In this study, we would
focus on task-specific self-efficacy in order toclarify how self-efficacy showed in mathematics
classes. Because mathematics classes usuallyspecified the objective of the given task fromteachers, here we focus on task-specific selfefficacy.
A sympathetic attitude was defined by the
English moral philosopher Hume (1740) as “thetrait of paying attention to the situations andfeelings of others and sharing and understanding
their feelings”. It is also argued that empathy
arises when we evoke the attitudes of othersin ourselves when we are helping them
(Mead, 1934). Like the letter from Pascal to
Fermat on 29 July 1654 (see Pascal 1654,p103), a sympathetic attitude is usually related
to a competitive attitude because without
others’ understanding for sharing new ideas
mathematical discovery is never accepted. And
if others do not understand, his new idea will
be buried. Thus, in mathematics class, teachersand students usually try to confirm others’
understanding. Assessment for teaching by
mathematics teachers usually condacts/manage
both competitive and sympathetic attidudes.
Competitive Attitude in Mathematic class
Even though a number of practices todevelop students’ self-efficacy were done bymathematics teachers and there was questions
on the international comparisons such as TIMSS
included the perspective of self-efficacy, there
are not so many empirical studies which focus
on mathematics class. Isoda et al. (2006) used
the online Bulletin Board System to create anenvironment in which Japanese and Australian
students could work together in problem-solvingon the Internet, noted that they became awareof differences in mathematics and that thecommunication between the students revealed
a competitive attitude (i.e., they were stronger
than their counterparts in mathematics)
and it also includes the sympathetic attitude
for understanding others to continuecommunication and sharing innovative ideas
each other. This idea can be taken to mean thesame thing as the above-mentioned competitive
self-efficacy.
Sympathic Attitude in Mathematics Class
Throughmathematicalactivities
inmathematics education, a sympathetic attitude
is necessary to promote the autonomousinteractive ability of students (Managao et.al.,2017). It is also regarded as a part of mathematicalactivity to explain and communicate using
mathematical terms. It needs to be noted herethat the word “interactive” may easily conjure
up images of dialogues between students
in group activities, etc., the success of these
discussions depends on the students’ ability
to sympathise with the other participants
for getting others perspective to understandothers. For instance, Isoda et al. (2006) foundthat students can be regarded to be displaying
a sympathetic attitude when they make surethe other party understands their message inorder to communicate their own thoughts. For
understanding others in mathematics, students
are necessary to represent other side ideas by
and for themselves. For re-present, they haveto use mathematical knowledge by themselves.
If students do not have it, it is impossible.
That’s why teachers need to observe whether
other students could understand or not. If not,

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95Formative Assessment for Human Character Formation in the Case of Mathematics Educationteachers usually give feedback to represent
explanations.
Mathematical Problem Posing
Problem posing as a part of problemsolving activity is a content of teaching and apowerful pedagogical tool to develop students’mathematical thinking skills which promotes
their creativity and innovation by and forthemselves. To utilise range of skills, including
critical thinking, creativity, communication,and collaboration, several challenges havebeen already implemented in the classroom
since 100 years ago (such as Shimizu, J., 1924).
Internationally shared problem-posing strategy
is the “what-if” and “what-if-not strategy”
proposed by Brown & Walter (1970). The “whatif-not strategy” is used when, after solving agiven problem, the conditions of that problem
are examined and new related problems are
introduced. “What if not strategy” was also
independently discussed in Japan such as(Sawada,S., 1984).
Also independently, Isoda et al. (1992)
proposed a method of “problem posing fromsituations such as photos, new paper, andcomputer animation” for the coming era ofmultimedia by using “what-if strategy” and“What-if-not strategy”. Especially, he promoted
problem posing from the situation with “whatif strategy” by allowing students to add andcreate conditions and context which arenecessary to produce mathematical problems
from their images inspired by the given
situation by using what they already learned.
In his approach, students are able to embedeach of their perspectives on their learned
and experiences into each of their problems.

96

Thus, the posed problems usually reflect each
student’s personality. His approach includes
information extraction from the situation andproblem formulation and generates meaningfulquestions. The objective of his approach is todevelop student’s problem posing ability fromthe situation as a part of problem-solving.
Based on Lesson Study, Isoda et al. (1992)
proposed a process of teaching how to pose/make problems: In phase I, the class is a teacherdriven development process, which aims to let
students understand how to make problems.
The case of failed students learn how to makeproblems from other’s works. Phase II showed
the students’ independent work in creating
their own problems, the specific features ofthe mathematics problems were focused andstudents felt personality. In phase III, students
engage their project work taking pictures forthe problem in their life and presenting thereports for their mathematical exploration. In
phase I, the teacher intends students to learn
how to make problems by themselves throughproduced examples by students. In phase II, theteacher intends for students to expand how todevelop the problem by themselves based onlearned ideas for problem making with others.
Up to phase II, most of the students were able
to make mathematical problems by and forthemselves. Phase III intended every student
to be able to find mathematical objects in theirlife as for the bases of mathematical modelling
activity.
Re-Analysis of Isoda & Abe (1994) for SelfAssesment
The video in this research is recorded by Isoda& Abe (1994) in 1992 at third grade of Junior

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Masami Isoda and Huajing Liu

high school students in Japan, which meant 9th
grade students intenationally.
At the beginning of the class, the teacher
showed Figure 1 with simiulation by the
projector and asked students to make problemsby themselves: The conditions AC ^ BE&AB ^CD are hidden, and students need to think with
what-if mode. Hidden condition itself unknown
and free to set conditions by students.
T: You may know that in the entrance
exam, there is a problem to develop
the mathematics problem from thesituation. You must know how to develop
a mathematics problem from a situation.
Then, let’s pose the problem from thisfigure (The task, making problem, given by
the teacher with FIGURE 1).

for knowing what kind of problems they weremaking (FIGURE 2). When most students were
finished, the teacher asked them to present
and called one student to come to the front
and explain his problem which discuss proof ofsimilarity.
Student Z: Problem, When FD: CD=1:4, BF:
BE=1:4, prove DBFD~DCFE.
After Z’s presentation, the teacher asked
students to raise their hands if they made asimilar problem. For promoting raising raisinghands, the teacher mentioned student X andsome others made a similar problem and asked
to rise their hands. At the moment X was called,
he smiled (Figure 3).

The objective of the teacher is that students
learn how to make problems. Students also got
it with the given task because the lesson was set
a month ahead of their exams.
Episode 1 in Phase I: Sympathetic Attitudes
and Self-realisation as Cultural Practice inMathematics Class
The teacher, Abe, made the assessment forteaching under his objective. After posed today’stask teacher was walking around the class

Figure 1. Simulation of a figure by moving point A wasdemonstrated by the teacher

Figure 2. The teacher was reading student X’s problem

Figure 3. Student X smiled after the teacher mentioned
his name

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97Formative Assessment for Human Character Formation in the Case of Mathematics Education

T: This is a good example. Who developed the
problem of similarity? Please raise your hands!
Mr. X,…, you developed, right? (FIGURE 3)
Please raise your hand (FIGURE 3). How manyof you developed the problem of similarity, one,
two, three...
The teacher recognised student X’s
achievement and shared it with the whole class.
It coursed that X felt happy for his problem being
shared with others. This X’s happiness implies
that sharing their own ideas with the teacher
in the whole class is a trigger of sympathy andthe key to self-realisation in mathematics class.
This was the result of the teacher’s assessment
for teaching while looking around students inthe class to observe what types of problems
students were developing.
Episode 2 in Phase I: Competitive Attitude for
Sharing Ideas in ClassAt that moment, X smiled and raised his
hand, student Y who was seated left behind
X looked uncomfortable (FIGURE 4-①). The
teacher Abe and observers assume the reason
is that X’s idea was shared by the whole class by
the teacher, while Y’s thought was not, yet. Y’s
problem which might be delightful for him did
not recognise in the class, yet. It was a reflectionof Y’s competitive attitude. Because the teacher
recognised other students’ uncomfortableness,he said:
T: So, who else thinks we can make a problem
like this, except for the similarity?
It was also the result of the assessment forteaching. He already observed various typesof problem were produced by students. At themorment of his saying, X sneaked a glance at98

Y (FIGURE 4-②). After saw student Y raise his
hand, X si(FIGURE 4-③) and he looked back to
the front and crossed his arms with a triumphantlook (FIGURE 4-④).
Depending on the class teacher Abe’s
explanation, they were friends, and X, as well asother students, knew that Y has one of the highest
mathematical abilities in the class, and thus, X
might expect that Y may raise his hand to show his
problem to the others. That’s the reason why, X
looked at Y. It implies that their good relationshipis not only friendly but also rival because it
emerged as a competitive relationship between
X and Y. X’s self-realisation in the whole class was
uncomfortable for Y because his achievement
was not yet shared. X imagined Y’s situation and
expected his response. It is also the consequenceof a teacher’s assessment for teaching. Indeed,this situation is caused by the teacher’s request
to make mathematical problems and his constantobservations of the students’ works for his
formative assessment. Only the teacher knew
each student’s problem, thus he could choose
the problem of similarity at first as for the firstexemplar. The teacher also knew other students’problems and he asked student Q to present.
Student W: When D is the midpoint of AB and
E is the midpoint of AC, find the area ratio of thesquare ABC and the pentagon DBCEF.
And discussed the two ways to makeproblems: One is seeking the answer problem
by student W and another one is proof problem
by student Z. Even though Y’s problem was
not discussed in the class, he could show his
presence with rising his hands.
These two episode implicates that students’
self-realisation in classroom are depending on

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Masami Isoda and Huajing Liu

Figure 4. Teacher’s formative assessment in Phase 1teacher’s decisions whos problems are easierfor sharing in the whole class at this phase.
Teacher’s action is based on his objectivethat whole students are able to learn how tomake problems by and for themselves. As for
exemplar, students were selected by teacher
to explain how to develop proof problem andseeking answer problem.
Episode 3 Shift to Phase II: Difference ofeach student’s belief in mathematics

Figure 5. Student W presented the problem by using
center of gravity

After the discussion of two ways of making aproblem, the teacher asked student W to solve his
problem. His solution used the idea of the centreof gravity (FIG 5). Meanwhile, three students R,
U, and V listened to W’s explanation (FIG 6-①).

Half of students raise their hands, including
student R, U, and V(FIG 6-②).

After W’s presentation, the teacher asked
students to raise their hands if they understandhis explanation.

T: Then, who can explain it a little moreclearly? What is ~ 2:1, then why is 2:1~ when itis the centre of gravity. Is this problem correct?

T: Who got it (Student W’s explanation)?

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99Formative Assessment for Human Character Formation in the Case of Mathematics Education

After all student R, U, V raised their hands,
R began to talk and smeil with friends, U lost
concentration, and V still tried to follow theteacher’s question. While he was listening
to W’s explanations, V followed the diagramon the blackboard, and sometimes shaking
his head which can be considered V kept his
reasoning throughout the whole process when
we compared with R and U.
Teacher: Where is the part of assumption inthis problem? If you want to change the problem,
where can you change?
This question related with revision of problem
by using what-if-not strategy. Thus, from thisteachers’ question, Phase II begins. Student V
asked teacher (FIGURE 6-③ & 6-④).

Student V: May I change the conclusion ... E is
the midpoint of BC.
So as the teacher asked questions as above,
student V raised his hand.When we comparedwith the difference of three students attitude,
we can discuss their beliefs in mathematics
individually which led each of them to thedifferent behaviour. From teacher Abe’s
perspective, R and U believe mathematics as
the subject of understanding. So they stopped
thinking or being distracted by others after they
thought they have understood W’s explanation.
In contrast, V believes mathematics cancontinuously develop.
After this discussion, the teacher looked
around the class again. The teacher observed

Figure 6. Teacher’s assessment for teaching in Phase 2

100

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 92 – 103 (2023)

Masami Isoda and Huajing Liu

U did not engage and confirmed him how
to change the problem again. After walking
around, the teacher asked whole students how
they changed W’s problem and R answered that
she changed the seeking answer problem to theproof problem.
Even though all students shared the objective
to learn how to develop the problem, their actual
achievements are depending on their beliefs inmathematics as well as their cognitive skills.
For this emergence of their beliefs, teachers’
assessments for teaching are also functioned.
After W explained his compricated proof
problem, the teacher confirmed whether every
student could follow his explanation or not, andkept asking students for learning how to change
the condition for the next step. In contrast, inPhase I, the teacher just asked students to raise
their hands if they made different problems
without allowing them to explain further. The
reason is that, in Phase I, the teacher intends toinstruct students on how to make problems bythemselves and chose the proof problem andthe seeking answer problem to present. In Phase
II, the teacher wanted students to expand theirproblem which included what-if-not strategy.
Even U began to talk with her friends, she could
follow his request but R could not. The difference
between U and R implicates the difference intheir cognitive skills for mathematics.
Conclusion
On the reanalysis of the video, this study
focused on three episodes to illustrate students’
self-realisation under the shared objectiveof making problems. In the discussion of
the episode, as a case study, posed researchquestions 1) and 2) are already illustrated.
In conclusion, we would like to confirm how
assessment for teaching is necessary forhuman character formation in mathematics
class explaining self-efficacy as a necessarycomponent to enhance human character andself-realisation in class is necessary to develop
self-efficacy in mathematics class.
In the episodes, self-efficacy to make theproblem was seen in the following: X’s smile
was emergent because the teacher knew what
problem X made and made it possible to beshared X’s achievement in the class. It is reallyan opportunity for him to self-realize in his classunder the objective/task to make problems.
Y raised his hands after X called and X looked
at Y: It can be seen as competitive interaction
among them. Y raised his hands based on his
self-efficacy. Y could show his presence withhis hands in class but he did not call by teacher.
This meant the teacher’s assessment affect Y’s
self-realisation and may not be strong as affectfor X. Anyway, the relationship between X and
Y is friendly and rival which was a part of their
human characters.
Even teacher realised Y’s desire to express,
the teacher could not choose him because heplanned the lesson to discuss both the proofing
problem and seeking answer problem and thenext step ‘what if not’ after the discussion of‘what if’. The teacher preferred presenters
based on his objective what he would like toteach within the class hour.
Even though the making problem was ashared objective, the performance of students
was very much different, and the teacher’s
assessment for teaching was changed

Journal of Southeast Asian Education (Vol. 1 | Special Issue): 92 – 103 (2023)

101Formative Assessment for Human Character Formation in the Case of Mathematics Education

depending on his observation of students. R, U
and V understand the explanation of proof for
W’s problem. However, after his confirmationas assessment, their performance was different.
We interpret their difference as coming fromthe difference in their belief and cognitive skills.
The teacher observed U’s stagnation and madefeedback to support him: It was the assessment
for teaching mathematically weak students. The
teacher also confirmed R by asking the answer
to his question. In the class, the teacher changed
the assessment for teaching to enhance each
student’s performance under his objective
and plan. From the perspective of competitiveand sympathetic attitude, V’s attitude is morecompetitive as well as X and Y but R and V are
more sympathetic because if they understandthey stop their reasoning. These differences
imply that the meaning of self-realisation isdifferent depending on students even if theteacher shares objective with students.
From the perspective of mathematics,
teachers would like to develop students like
X, Y, and V: it means that the necessity to
improve the performance of U and R. R may
need to develop better beliefs like V because
she enjoyed talking with her friend instead offurther reasoning. Her enjoyment and smilingwith her friend is a part of her human character
which cannot be denied by us however if she got
further mathematical belief her performancemight enhance. U may need to support his lackof cognitive skills because of stagnation. For
U’s self-realisation, it is necessary to enhance
his cognitive skills as the bases for overcoming
stagnation.
These were conclusions found from the reanalysis of the video.

102

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