improving teaching methods in mathematics and science in primary school education in namibia
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ACTION PLAN. Improving teaching methods in mathematics and science in primary school education in Namibia. MR. MUHONGO MATEYA. INTRODUCTION. Namibia is a developing country. The education system is being modified to meet the international standards - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Improving teaching methods in mathematics and science in primary
school education in Namibia
MR. MUHONGO MATEYA
INTRODUCTION
• Namibia is a developing country. • The education system is being modified to meet
the international standards• The modification of the education system takes
mathematics and science education high on the agenda.
• The said subjects aid the development of each country in this modern world
• Mathematics for example forms the basis for studying other subjects
THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS OF THE NAMIBIAN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
• Learners perform very poorly in the end-of-year national examinations for (grades 7, 10 & 12)
• A very small number of learners follow the extended mathematics syllabus as from the junior secondary phase
• Teachers with poor mathematics background teach the subject, especially at the primary phase
• Grade 6 learners and their mathematics teachers perform very poorly in the Southern and Eastern Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality (SACMEQ) tests, e.g. Namibia was ranked last out of the 12 countries that took the mathematics test, (SACMEQ II, 2004) report
Attempts to rescue the situation regarding mathematics education
• Education and Training Sector for Improvement Program (ETSIP) under the Ministry of Education is committed in supplying mathematics textbooks to learners; proposes further training of the mathematics teachers
• A mathematics task force was established by the Ministry of Education in Namibia to investigate possible ways of improving the mathematics results
• Rossing Foundation, a non-governmental organisation is helping with the training of teachers in one of the regions
• A regional mathematics project called “Enkondopeko” was established in 2005 to train mathematics facilitators for the junior secondary phase
• Basic Education Support (BES III) project funded by the Government of USA, funds mathematical activities in six of the 13 regions of Namibia.
OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT
• To try and improve the teaching methods of mathematics by using the idea of “Lesson Study”.
• To improve the learners’ achievement in mathematics at the end of the primary school education by providing the teachers with the necessary instructional skills.
Trial of the idea of “Lesson Study”
• Four schools in one of the eleven circuits of education in the Kavango Region will be selected for piloting of the idea.
• About 8 Primary Mathematics will be involved in the pilot project.
• The pilot project will last for a year (April 2009-April 2010).
• I will first share the information I have learned in Japan with the teachers concerned
• After a year the teachers who will participate in the pilot project will be used as role models for others with attempt to expand the idea.
PROBLEM ANALYSISSmall number of entrants to additional mathematics at junior secondary school education
Low academic achievement in mathematics at the end of primary school education
Lack of confidence
Lack of teaching materials
Inadequate sharing of teaching experience
Insufficient instructional skills
Poor teaching methods
Inappropriate students’ evaluations
OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS
Larger number of entrants to additional mathematics
at junior secondary school
High academic achievement in mathematics at the end of primary school education
Better teaching methods
Adequate sharing of teaching experiences
Sufficient instructional skillsTeachers have confidence
to teach mathematics
Lesson study
Adequate teaching materials
Appropriate students’ evaluations
PROJECT DESIGN
Overall Goal:High academic achievement in
mathematics at the end of primary school education
Project purpose:Better teaching methods
Output 1:Sufficient instructional
skills
Output 2: Teachers have confidence to
teach mathematics
Output 3:Adequate sharing
of teaching experiences
Activities: -Workshops -Seminars
Activities:-Class observations-Panel discussions- Presentation of lessons
Activities:-Collective development of teaching and learning materials-Collective lesson planning-Attending mathematics congresses
PLAN OF OPERATIONActivity Month &
Year Person in charge
Target group
Venue Budget
Activities for output 1:-workshops
- seminars
May-June 2009
August-September 2009
April-May 2010
Education officer;
2 lecturers: one from Rundu college of Education & one from UNAM and a mathematics resource teacher
Practicing teachers
(Primary Phase)
-Rundu teachers’ resource centre (RTRC)
- Conference room of the circuit office
Ministry of Education & Other Stake-holders
Activities for output 2:- Class observations-Panel discussions
- Collective lessons presentations
April 2009;
June –July 2009
September-October 2009
Jan-April 2010
Education officer
Practicing teachers
(Primary Phase)
The selected pilot schools
Ministry of Education & Other Stake-holders
Activities for output 3:Collective:
-Lesson planning & material development
-Attending mathematics congresses
April-October 2009
May 2009; September 2009
Education officer & resource teacher
Practicing teachers
(Primary Phase)
RTRC
& at the circuit office
Swakopmund & Windhoek
Ministry of education & other Stake-holders
Expected Challenges with the implementation of “Lesson Study”
• New idea that teachers may take time to understand its principles
• Some teachers may not be willing to present lessons and allow criticisms
• Teachers may not have time to come together for collective lesson planning and to do co-teaching
Benefit of “Lesson Study”
• I have chosen the idea of “Lesson Study” because of the following reason(s):
It provides teachers with opportunities to:- Make sense of educational ideas within their
practice- Change their perspectives about teaching and
learning - Learn to see their practice from the child’s
perspective- Receive support from their colleagues
Acknowledgements
• The following people are acknowledged for their fruitful contributions they have made towards the “Program”:
• The staff of CRICED under the leadership of Professor Masami Isoda• The administrative staff members of the University of Tsukuba• The following Professors (from different countries, Universities and
Organisations): Tsubota, Haga, Shimizu, Otaka, Sekiya, Kamata, Ginshima, Maitree & Raimundo• The teachers at:- Ozone Elementary School- Kukizaki Junior High- Junior High school at Otsuka University Of Tsukuba- The Attached Elementary School of the University of Tsukuba.The administrative staff of Ibaraki Teacher Training Centre.The JICE staff members under the leadership of Ando-san. The Training Coordinator: Yuhara-san. The representative from the textbook company (Gakkotosho): Serizawa-san
JICA Participants with Prof. Kozo TSUBOTA Jan 22nd-March 6th 2009
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE IT!
THANK YOU