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2007/HRDWG29/015
EDNET Operational Project Progress Report: Collaborative Studies on Innovations for Teaching and Learning Mathematics in Different Cultures (II) – Lesson Study focusing on Mathematical Thinking
Purpose: Information
Submitted by: Thailand and Japan
/ 29th Human Resources DevelopmentWorking Group Meeting
Brisbane, Australia
17-20 April 2007
Progress Report on APEC HRD 02/2007 Project
[ ] Operational Account [ ] TILF Special Account [ ] APEC Support Fund
Project number:APEC HRD 02/2007 / Date received by Secretariat:Name of Committee/Working Group:APEC Human ResourcesDevelopment Working Group
Title of Project:
Collaborative Studies on Innovations for Teaching and Learning Mathematics in Different Cultures (II)- Lesson Study focusing on Mathematical Thinking -
Proposing APEC Economy:Thailand and Japan
Co-sponsoring APEC Economy (ies):
Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Chinese Taipei, US, Vietnam
Project Overseer: Name, Title and Organization(M/F)
Associate Professor Dr. Suladda Loipha, Vice President,Khon Kaen University, Thailand, Female.
Assistant Professor Dr. Maitree Inprasitha , Director of Center for Research in Mathematics Education (CRME), Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand, Male.
Associate Professor Masami Isoda, Director of Japan Society of Mathematical Education, Chief of Mathematics Education in CRICED , University of Tsukuba, Japan, Male.
Associate Professor Shizumi Shimizu, Vice President of Japan Society of Mathematical Education, University of Tsukuba, Japan, Male.
Postal address:
Faculty of Education, KhonKaenUniversity, Khon Kaen40002, Thailand / Telephone:+66 43 203 165
Fax:+ 66 43 203 165
E-mail address:
Financial Information / Total cost of proposal (US$):103,320 / Amount being sought from APEC Central Fund (US$):67,880
Type of Project: seminar/symposium short-term training course survey or analysis and research database/website others (Please specify)
Project start date:1 December 2006 / Project end date:30 September 2007
Brief description of Project : its purpose and the principal activities (including when and where) :
For professional development on the theme of stimulating mathematics and sciences in EDNET, the project HRD 03/2006, “A Collaborative Study on Innovations for Teaching and Learning Mathematics in Different Cultures among the APEC Member Economies”, succeeded to share the approaches of Lesson Study for improving quality of education in general, a number of video tapes of good practices in mathematics and to develop collaborative network on Lesson Study among member economies. The results will be seen on the Knowledge Bank of EDNET in HRDWG.
Based on the success, we decided to continue the project more four years in relation to following topics: Mathematical Thinking (year 2007), Mathematical Communication (year 2008), Evaluation (year 2009), and Generalization (year 2010). The first three topics are selected in relation to three Lesson Study processes, Plan (for Mathematical Thinking), Do (for Mathematical Communication) and See (for Evaluation). The result of each year will be based for following year project. In the final year, Generalization will be set for the benefit of all subjects in education.
This year, we focus on Mathematical Thinking because it is necessary ability for science, technology, economical life and development.
Using Lesson Study approaches, the project aims to
1) collaboratively sharethe ideas and ways of mathematical thinking which is necessary for science, technology, economical life and development on the APEC member economies, and
2) Collaboratively develop the teaching approaches on mathematical thinking through Lesson Study among the APEC member economies.
In order to achieve the aims of the project, activities will be implemented in four main phases.
Phase I, A workshop and a Lesson Study meeting (a kind of workshop for specialists) among key mathematics educators from APEC member economies hosted by Center for Research on International Cooperation in Educational Development (CRICED), University of Tsukuba, Japan will be organized in order to share the idea and ways of mathematical thinking on curriculum level and teachinglevel (at Tokyo & Sapporo, December 2007).
Phase II, Each APEC member economy has engaging in the Lesson Study project for developing some topics of mathematical thinking (January-July 2007).
Phase III, An International Symposium and a Lesson Study meeting (a kind of workshop for general teachers) will be organized in order to share teaching approaches for developing mathematical thinking by economies. The symposium will be hosted by Center for Research in Mathematics Education (CRME), Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand (at Khon Kaen, August2007).
Phase IV, The professional development for school mathematics teachers will be conducted based on the obtained-good practices and learned-innovations (September 2007).
Signature of Project Overseer:
(Associate Professor Dr. Suladda Loipha)
(Assistant Professor Dr. Maitree Inprasitha)
(Associate Professor Masami Isoda)
( Associate Professor Shizumi Shimizu)
(Separate written confirmation acceptable for email submission) Date:
Signature of Committee Chair/WG Lead Shepherd:(Not applicable to Progress Report and Evaluation Report)
(Separate written confirmation acceptable for email submission) Date:
Progress Report on APEC Projects
Status/Progress and Problems
Current status of project: On schedule (Yes/No) Yes Within budget (Yes/No) YesObjectives
How do results of the project thus far (if any) compare with its expected results? Include your results thus far (if any) relative to quantitative measures you proposed in paragraph 1 (and 25) of the project design proposal.The collaborative project aims to:
1)Share the ideas and ways of mathematical thinking which are necessary for science, technology, economic growth and development of the APEC member economies, and
2)Develop the teaching approaches in mathematical thinking through Lesson Study among the APEC member economies.
To achieve the above-mentioned aims, on phase I,the specialists from the APEC economies listened to four keynotelectures and reviewed eighteen submitted papers on mathematical thinking, observed four research lessons in Japanese classrooms, and shared the framework of mathematical thinking in group discussions at the conference. The conference attracted 149 participants, including 37 foreign scholars and observers from 16 member economies: Australia,Brunei Darussalam, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Thailand, U.S., and Vietnam.
We shared ideas on the mathematical thinking framework; 1) how we interpret mathematical thinking from research lessons that we observed, and 2) how teachers can “teach” mathematical thinking through Lesson Study.
The result of questionnaires from specialists and participants on Phase I is very positive responses in all items. The printed Progress Report of Phase I included 22 papers and four videos of Lesson Study. Both Questionnaires and the Progress Report will be distributed at the HRD Education Network meeting in Brisbane in April 2007. The contents of Progress Report including videos will be shown on the Knowledge Bank of EDNET and following website:
Linkages, Methodology, Budget
Describe any problems which have arisen and how they were resolved, including changes in schedule or revised dates, budget changes, changes in participation, or additions or deletions of activities.
Normally, APEC project will be managed within the fiscal year (January-December). On BMC meeting in October 2006, this project was approved to start one month earlier, beginning in December, 2006 without budget change and change in participation. The reason we started the project one month earlier is that the school in Sapporo which we would observe could not organize Lesson Study in January. This schedule made the specialists to reimburse their travel budget in January 2007 with kindly consideration from APEC office.
Now we are planning to make minor changes in Phase IV for engaging in more works for professional development within the approved budget.
Gender Considerations
Provide a brief description of the impact of the project on women to date.Provide details to show how women have been consulted on the delivery of the project.What kind of sex-disaggregated data has been collected and used for the project?The number of participated foreign scholars is 37 and the number of female in it is 20. In the open Lesson Study sessions, the ratio of female local participants is also high. These show that the gender balance is well kept in this project.
Progress since last report :
In Phase I of the project HRD02/2007, Lesson Study is applied for developing Mathematical Thinking. The Lesson Study Approach is also shared well based on the experience of the project HRD03/2006 and the four Lesson Studies.
Based on the result of Phase I, specialists have been engaging in Lesson Study in their economies.
Notes:-All Committee and Working Group projects, irrespective of their source of funding, should be reported to BMC.
-Please mark “N.A.” if any item is not applicable.
-Name of Project should be identical with the name stated in the project proposal.