Basic Education Curriculum and Assessment Review in Southeast Asia: The

SEA PLM Initiative by: Dr Ethel Agnes P. Valenzuela

Overview 1. The 35th SEAMEO High Officials Meeting in November 2012 and

the 47th SEAMEC in March 2013 approved the SEA-PLM to complement global learning Metrics Task Force (LMTF) initiative.

2. SEA does not currently have its own metrics for assessing student achievement at the primary level. TIMSS and PISA covered lower secondary. While TIMSS covered 9 year olds, no country in SEA participated in such assessment

3. SEAMEO plans to develop a common primary education learning metrics for SEA which will also provide more timely, high quality data to stakeholders and policy makers for effective reforms and interventions.

Rationale – UNICEF and SEAMEO INNOTECH Collaboration on Southeast Asian Primary learning metric (SEA PLM)

• To develop a common set of tools and protocols for SEA countries to measure the learning outcomes of children of primary school age.

• To use the SEA-PLM research and development process as an opportunity to build capacity and strengthen partnerships on learner assessment within and between SEA countries.

• SEAMEO INNOTECH then was tasked to: – To provide the technical aspects for the Regional Experts Reference Group –

that includes draft work plan, draft TOR for various mechanisms and team, introduction to SOLO Taxonomy and Rausch Modelling, technical sessions, recommend national strategic plan to build country-level communities of practices , capacity-building gaps, and training packages for stakeholders at the national level, as well suggest process for enhancing national capacity and decision making and provide focal point for UNICEF

Activities Conducted • SEAMEO INNOTECH

• Review SEAMEO member countries National Curriculum at Primary levels to identify commonalities and unique elements within curricula frameworks and compare this to the LMTF seven domains and compare the broad domains of learning as structured in national core curriculum frameworks

• Do a compilation of comparable grade level curricula expectations or expected outcomes for children aged 8 to 11 years.

• Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)

• Conduct a desk review of experiences with primary learning metrics – and within PISA and TIMMS – in the region

• To map out what types of LM have been introduced in which SEA countries

• Regional experiences with primary learning metrics reviewed – including innovative approaches, issues, and lessons learned of relevance to the SEA -PLM initiative

Basic Education Curriculum and

Assessment Comparison

ACER Review of Primary Learning Metric used a simplified framework of multilevel approaches to assessment

Source:

SEA Approaches to assessment

Source:

Countries Assessment Types Names of Tests

Cambodia Hybrid, Regional and National

EGRA, PASEC, LAS

Lao PDR Hybrid, Regional, National

EGRA, PASEC, NLS, ASLO,

Indonesia Hybrid, Regional, National

EALAS, Literacy Boost, TIMSS, PIRLS, LAS

Malaysia National, International PSAT, TISS

Myanmar Hybrid EALAS

Philippines Hybrid, International, National

EGRA, Literacy Boost, EALAS, Phil-IRI, TIMSS

SEA Approaches to assessment

Source:

Countries Assessment Types Names of Tests

Singapore National, International CRP, TIMSS, PIRLS

Thailand Hybrid, National, International

Nationwide Assessment, TIMSS

Timor Leste Hybrid EGRA, EALAS

Vietnam Hybrid, National, Regional,

Reading and Maths Assessments Study, EGRA, EALAS, Literacy Boost,PASEC

2. SEAMEO INNOTECH’s Primary Education Curriculum Review

• The purpose of SEA PLM curriculum review is to survey the primary education curriculum of 11 SEA countries according to the primary learning metric in the areas of English, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science at the primary level (years 1 to 6).

• The learning metric was developed by the UNESCO LMTF that serves as a global framework for measuring learning. This supports advocacy on MDGs, EFA, and access to education plus learning.

SEA PLM SEAMEO INNOTECH Primary Education Curriculum Review followed the Global Framework for Learning Domains

SEAMEO INNOTECH Product : A Review of Primary School Curriculum in Southeast Asian

Countries

Initially, SEAMEO INNOTECH reviewed the curriculum of 7 SEA countries using the 7 domains for Learning Outcomes under the LMTF.

The review identified commonalities and unique elements within curricula frameworks in the participating countriesThe contents were compared using the LMTF domains

Domain 1 : Physical Well-BeingCountries Physical Well-Being

B r u n e i D a r u s s a l a m S c i e n c e 4 - 6

C a m b o d i a A l l s u b j e c t s 1 t o 6

L a o P D R S c i e n c e 1 - 5 ; M a t h 4 - 5

P h i l i p p i n e s S c i e n c e 4 - 6

S i n g a p o r e S c i e n c e 1 - 2

T h a i l a n d L a n g u a g e s 4 - 6 ; M a t h 2 - 6 ; S c i e n c e 2 - 3 ; S o c i a l S t u d i e s 2 - 6

Domain 2 : Social and Emotional

Countries Social and Emotional

B r u n e i D a r u s s a l a m L a n g u a g e s 1 - 6 ; S c i e n c e 1 - 6

C a m b o d i a A l l s u b j e c t s 1 t o 6

L a o P D R L a n g u a g e s 3 - 6 ; S c i e n c e 1 - 5

P h i l i p p i n e s L a n g u a g e s 1 - 6 ; S c i e n c e 3 & 5 ; S o c i a l S t u d i e s 2 - 6

S i n g a p o r e L a n g u a g e s 1 , 5 - 6 ; S c i e n c e 1 - 6 ; S o c i a l S t u d i e s 1 - 6

T h a i l a n d L a n g u a g e s , S c i e n c e , a n d S o c i a l S t u d i e s 1 - 6

V i e t n a m L a n g u a g e , M a t h , S c i e n c e a n d S o c i a l S t u d i e s 1 - 6

Domain 3 : Culture and the Arts

Countries Cultural and the Arts

B r u n e i D a r u s s a l a m L a n g u a g e s a n d M a t h s - G r 1 - 6S c i e n c e 4 - 6

C a m b o d i a A l l s u b j e c t s G r 1 - 6

L a o P D R L a n g u a g e s 4 - 6 ; M a t h s 1 - 6 ; S c i e n c e 1 - 4

P h i l i p p i n e s L a n g u a g e s - G r 1 - 2 ; F i l i p i n o 1 - 6 ; S o c i a l S t u d i e s 2 - 6

S i n g a p o r e M a t h s 1 - 5 ; S c i e n c e 1 - 2 ; 4 - 6 ;

T h a i l a n d L a n g u a g e s 1 - 6 ; M a t h s 3 - 6 ; S o c i a l S t u d i e s 1 - 6

V i e t n a m S o c i a l S t u d i e s 1 - 6

Domain 4 : Literacy and Communication

Countries Literacy and Communication

B r u n e i D a r u s s a l a m L a n g u a g e s 1 - 6 ; M a t h s 1 - 3 ; S c i e n c e 4 - 6

C a m b o d i a A l l s u b j e c t s G r 1 - 6

L a o P D R L a n g u a g e s 4 - 6 ; M a t h s 1 - 6 ; S c i e n c e 1 - 4

P h i l i p p i n e s L a n g u a g e s - G r 1 - 2 ; F i l i p i n o 1 - 6 ; S o c i a l S t u d i e s 2 - 6

S i n g a p o r e M a t h s 1 - 5 ; S c i e n c e 1 - 2 ; 4 - 6 ;

T h a i l a n d L a n g u a g e s 1 - 6 ; M a t h s 1 - 6 ; S o c i a l S t u d i e s 1 - 3

V i e t n a m L a n g u a g e s – 1 - 5 ; M a t h s a n d S c i e n c e s 5 - 6

Domain 5: Learning Approaches and Cognition

Countries Literacy and Communication

B r u n e i D a r u s s a l a m

L a n g u a g e s 1 - 6 ; M a t h s 1 - 6 ; S c i e n c e 4 - 6

C a m b o d i a A l l s u b j e c t s G r 1 - 6

L a o P D R L a n g u a g e s 3 - 6 ; M a t h s 2 - 6 ; S c i e n c e 1 - 5 ; S o c i a l S t u d i e s 1 - 5

P h i l i p p i n e s L a n g u a g e s - G r 1 - 5 ; S c i e n c e 2 - 6

S i n g a p o r e L a n g u a g e s 1 - 6 ; M a t h s 1 - 5 ; S c i e n c e 4 - 6 ; S o c i a l S t u d i e s 4 - 6

T h a i l a n d L a n g u a g e s ( T h a i ) 1 - 6 ; M a t h s 1 - 6 ; S c i e n c e 1 - 4 ; S o c i a l S t u d i e s 1 - 5

V i e t n a m L a n g u a g e s – 1 - 5 ; M a t h s a n d S c i e n c e s 5 - 6

Domain 6: Numeracy and MathematicsCountries Literacy and Communication

B r u n e i D a r u s s a l a m

L a n g u a g e s 1 - 6 ; M a t h s 1 - 6 ; S c i e n c e 4 - 6

C a m b o d i a L a n g u a g e G r 1 ; M a t h s 1 - 6

L a o P D R M a t h s 1 - 6

P h i l i p p i n e s M a t h s 1 - 6 ; S c i e n c e 1 - 4 - 6

S i n g a p o r e M a t h s 1 - 6 ; S c i e n c e 1 - 2

T h a i l a n d L a n g u a g e s ( T h a i ) 1 - 3 ; M a t h s 1 - 6 ; S c i e n c e 3 ; S o c i a l S t u d i e s 3 - 4

V i e t n a m M a t h s 1 - 6

Domain 7:Science and Technology

Countries Science and technology

B r u n e i D a r u s s a l a m S c i e n c e 1 - 6

C a m b o d i a S c i e n c e a n d t e c h n o l o g y a n d S o c i a l S t u d i e s 1 - 6

L a o P D R S c i e n c e a n d S o c i a l S t u d i e s 1 - 5

P h i l i p p i n e s P h i l i p p i n e s G r 1 a n d 6 ; S c i e n c e 3 - 6

S i n g a p o r e S c i e n c e 1 - 6

T h a i l a n d S c i e n c e 1 - 6

V i e t n a m S c i e n c e a n d S o c i a l S t u d i e s 1 - 6

Agreements in SEA PLM RERG Conference (24-26 September 2013)

Overall approachPreparation of common tools and assessment items will be based on

curriculum standards – identifying common domains of learning across SEA countries and restructuring tools to reflect the unique values and culture of SEA

Age of students to be covered in the assessment Original plan was for two assessments to cover 8 & 11 year olds to allow

tracking of cohort performance.

However there are countries in SEA such as Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam which only have 5 years of primary education

A grade-reference assessment instead of age-referenced assessment was agreed upon since will have a stronger link to the curriculum and allow for policy revision

An assessment covering two primary grade levels is still a long term goal, however, initially project will start with GRADE 5

Agreements in SEA PLM RERG Conference (24-26 September 2013)

Subject areas to be covered Maths/NumeracyReading and Writing (as separate metrics)Global Citizenship (main value-added component)

Ways of conducting the assessment Language of instruction used in teaching will also

be used as the language of assessmentUse of SOLO Taxonomy High level of expertise would be needed to

support of the regional and national teams

THANK YOU