Research in Progress｜Zambia Numeracy Competence Assessment Project

（1）Project Study

In the first phase, the developed assessment and intervention tools have functioned as intended and comparison of pre-survey and post-survey data of experimental and control groups has shown that the intervention has significantly improved the pupils in experimental group except some remaining issues.

(i) Numbers are limited up to 100

(ii) Multiplication and division tasks do not show significant change

However, we conclude that our explorative research approach has been proved effective to develop assessment tools and collected data is very valuable for us to think further materials. Therefore, we plan this collaboration research (phase II) to address two remaining issues. They are understanding of bigger numbers (up to 1000) and smaller numbers (first decimal places) including grasping decimal place value system and also acquiring multiplicative structure including multiplication and division.

Team Formation

Japanese Team

No.	Name	Affiliation
1	Dr. Takuya BABA (Mr.)	Vise Dean/ Professor, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University
2	Dr. Nagisa NAKAWA (Ms.)	Assistant Professor, College of Architecture and Environmental Design, Kanto Gakuin University
3	Dr. Satoshi KUSAKA (Mr.)	Lecturer, Graduate School of Education, Naruto University of Education
4	Dr. Koji WATANABE (Mr.)	Professor, School of Education, Miyazaki International College
5	Dr. Masato KOSAKA (Mr.)	Assosciate Professor, Faculty of Education, Humanities and Social SciencesDivision of Teacher Education Professional Development of Teachers, University of Fukui
6	Mr. Yoshitaka ABE	Doctoral Student, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University
7	Mr. Akira OSHIMA	Doctoral Student, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University
8	Ms. Kanae MINAGOSHI	Research Fellow, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University

Zambian Team

No.	Name	Affiliation
1	Dr. Bentry Nkhata (Mr.)	Senior Lecturer, Department of Mathematics and Science Education, the School of Education, University of Zambia
2	Dr. Patricia Nalube (Ms.)	Head of Department, Department of Mathematics and Science Education, the School of Education, University of Zambia
3	Ms. Shelly Sikwale	Curriculum Specialist Mathematics, The Curriculum Development Centre, Ministry of Education
4	Mr. Mungalu Auther	Senior Lecturer, Mathematics Education, Charles Lwanga College of Education, Monze
5	Ms. Mudenda Barbara	Mathematics Teacher, New Nakonde Sceondary School, Nakonde
6	Mr. Kaabo Emmanuel	Mathematics Teacher, Canisius Secondary School, Monze
7	Mr. Bareford Mambwe	Mathematics Teacher, Serenje Boma Secondary School, Serenje
8	Ms. Doye Chikola	Senior Lecturer-Mathematics Education, St Mary’s College of Education, Mbala
9	Ms. Spiwe Tafeni	Mathematics Teacher, Mkushi Day Secondary School, Mkushi
10	Ms. Takuzwa Jane Njovu	Project Coordinator

Phase II

This project study is going to conduct a field survey on primary pupils (Grade 3 to 6) in Zambia and to develop assessment tools and intervention tools to address the challenges of Zambian pupils. Working hypothesis and purposes are as follows.

【Working Hypothesis】

It would be possible to understand the primary school pupils’ conception/ understanding and also challenges of number and calculation by analyzing the external expression and internal expression (mental model) in the presented tasks. Such tasks could be transformed into a material for the prescription to the basic skills, called “Numeracy Competence” in this research. The “Numeracy Competence” in Phase I as in the Table 1.

Table1　Definition of Numeracy Competence Phase I

Numeracy Competence

Composition and decomposition of number, count by groups, count forward and backward
Relative size of numbers, seeing in terms of unit
Decimal number system, Understanding of patterns and structure of numbers
Expression of Number (blocks, counters, number line, etc.)
Significance, procedure and proficiency of calculation
Reading and expressing skills of mathematics sentence

Based on this definition, we develop definition of numeracy competence Phase II

Representing number and understanding place value system
Comparing magnitude of numbers
Understanding multiplicative structure and reasoning
Conducting and explaining four operations

【Purpose】

① To develop an assessment tool to identify the challenges and the root cause of Zambian pupils’ Numeracy Competence, and refine a draft prescription (working hypothesis) through field surveys.

② To develop an assessment tool into the Education Package, which contains both assessment and intervention tools and to confirm validity of this Package through comparison of data of pre-study and post-study

③ To propose the Package to Ministry of General Education as well as JICA.