Improving teaching methods in mathematics and science in primary school education in Namibia

1. ACTION PLAN Improving teaching methods in mathematics and science in primary school education in Namibia MR. MUHONGO MATEYA

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. Small number of entrants to additional mathematics at junior secondary school education Low academic achievement in mathematics at the end of primary school education PROBLEM ANALYSIS Poor teaching methods Inappropriate students’ evaluations Lack of teaching materials Insufficient instructional skills Lack of confidence Inadequate sharing of teaching experience

8. 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 Appropriate students’ evaluations Better teaching methods Adequate teaching materials Sufficient instructional skills Teachers have confidence to teach mathematics Adequate sharing of teaching experiences Lesson study

9. PROJECT DESIGN Activities: -Workshops -Seminars Output 1: Sufficient instructional skills Project purpose: Better teaching methods • Activities: • -Class observations • Panel discussions • - Presentation of lessons Overall Goal: Highacademicachievement in mathematics at the end of primary school education Output 2: Teachers have confidence to teach mathematics • Activities: • Collective development of teaching and learning materials • Collective lesson planning • Attending mathematics congresses Output 3: Adequate sharing of teaching experiences

10. PLAN OF OPERATION

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. JICA Participants with Prof. Kozo TSUBOTA Jan 22nd-March 6th 2009 TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE IT!

15. THANK YOU