Manchadi – Teach Maths for Kerala – Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council

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      Manchadi – Teach Maths for Kerala

Problem

• Focus on teaching procedures rather than on the development of conceptual understanding in mathematics starting from Primary classes.
• Pedagogic practices and learning trajectories are not based on research and sustained classroom implementation.
• Teacher education that is not sufficiently grounded in on-going classroom practices.
• Centralised assessment practices which are not able to capture children’s thinking processes.
• Insufficient understanding and acceptane of the need forflexible classroom planning processes. 

Solutions

• Convincing different stakeholders about the feasibility of practices for developing conceptual understanding by setting up demonstration centres.
• Moved from a non-school environment and pilot to a school based mainstreaming model with trade- offs on flexibilities. 
• Developed a platform for teaching learning material development deployment and continuous evaluation.
• Real-time analysis and modification of classroom planning based on observation of children’s responses. 
• Monthly region-wise workshops along with joint class observation

Challenges

• Current educational and assessment practices are directed towards ‘finding the right answer.’
• Convincing different stakeholders of the centrality of classroom practices for developing appropriate innovations. 
• Difficulty in conducting classroom practices with the spirit of the new approach.
• Private tuition and competitive scholarship exams hinder the possibility of focusing on meaningful learning.
• Insufficient understanding and acceptance of the need for meticulous as well as flexible classroom planning processes. 

Outcomes

• Demonstrating the ability of all children to develop basic and multiplicative number sense.
• Conceptual understanding in mathematics; especially in fractions and contextual problem-solving.
• Designing and validating a set of practices in the context of Kerala which can develop basic number sense. 
• Recognition of the need and possibility of a new paradigm in education especially in mathematics. 
• Recognition by the involved panchayats / school leaderships of the importance and possibility of a programme. 

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Case Study

 Manchadi – Teach Maths for Kerala

Introduction

K-DISC has nurtured an innovative project in mathematics education to deal with the lack of conceptual understanding and ensuing fear of mathematics. Such an effort is essential for Kerala’s transition to a knowledge society since skills such as critical thinking are inevitable for a knowledge society.

Problems

The biggest problem is to focus on teaching procedures rather than on the development of conceptual understanding in Mathematics starting from Primary classes. Pedagogic practices and learning trajectories are not based on research and sustained classroom implementation. Centralised assessment practices are not able to capture children’s thinking processes and insufficient understanding and acceptance of the need for meticulous as well as flexible classroom planning processes based on the ability to assess children’s conceptual understanding.

Solutions

Convincing different stakeholders about the feasibility of practices for developing conceptual understanding by setting up demonstration centres. A platform was developed for teaching learning material development deployment and continuous evaluation. Real-time analysis and modification of classroom planning based on observation of children’s responses with monthly region-wise workshops along with joint class observation.

Outcomes

Demonstrating the ability of all children to develop basic and multiplicative number sense and conceptual understanding in mathematics, especially in fractions and contextual problem-solving. A set of practices was designed in the context of Kerala, which can develop basic number sense in most primary/ middle school children with 50/ 40 classes, respectively. Recognition of the need and possibility of a new paradigm in education, especially in mathematics by the involved teachers within a period of 5 months through a set of teacher education processes.

Challenges

Insufficient understanding and acceptance of the need for meticulous as well as flexible classroom planning processes based on the ability to assess children’s conceptual understanding. Current educational and assessment practices are directed towards ‘finding the right answer’ rather than on the development of children’s thinking processes. Convincing different stakeholders of the centrality of classroom practices for developing appropriate innovations in education and the difficulty in conducting classroom practices with the spirit of the new approach.

Innovation

An alternative to MCQ-based standardised assessment was provided. The alternative is based on teachers’ observations while at the same time being vetted by a community of practice. Establishing multi-grade, multi-level classes and introducing appropriate processes whereby the differences can add to the richness of the class and support effective learning for all and validating the use of appropriate Malayalam words to support conceptual understanding.

Opportunities

Extending the approach to 100 government schools and starting an intense process of joint activity with the teachers of these schools before expanding to the larger teacher community and establishing linkages between the academic community, education activists, and teacher community to come together to work towards a shift in education policy.

Summary

The project has provided clear evidence of the feasibility of developing conceptual understanding and ability for problem-solving related to real-life contexts for all children.

For more information, please contact:
Dr Unnikrishnan Potheri Vasudevan, Member Secretary at ms.kdisc@kdisc.kerala.gov.in

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