Special Initiatives in Mathematics and Science Education
In Morocco, since the National Charter for Education and Training (1999) was declared, tremendous effort has been invested in improving the quality of education. Lessons from Morocco’s participation in PIRLS and TIMSS and also from national assessments have triggered deep reflection about how to improve students’ basic skills and knowledge, particularly in reading, writing, mathematics, and science. The Higher Council for Education, Training, and Scientific Research has identified a wide apparent disparity in student performance between urban and rural areas. To tackle these issues, educational reform is underway in accordance with the Strategic Vision of the Reform (2015–2030). This vision puts the school at the heart of greater social reform.
In this context, many pathways to improving student skills and knowledge have been considered. Among the most important measures taken to improve the quality of education in Morocco is the revision and improvement of the national curriculum in the first four years of primary school, introducing greater emphasis on reading, writing, scientific awareness, and mathematics. Revisions of the national curriculum also target changes in:
- The roles played by teachers and students
- The methodologies and approaches used
- Assessment and examinations
- Teacher training and classroom equipment
The newly revised curriculum was trialed during the 2014–2015 school year in 10 percent of schools across Morocco. Results are being analyzed and will be communicated to all stakeholders so that they can decide whether to generalize the use of the revised curriculum or not.
The government of Morocco has agreed with Japan to work together to implement another initiative called Promoting Education with Equity and Quality (PEEQ). PEEQ comprises two components: an equity component that addresses the issue of equitable access to education for both boys and girls; and a quality component focused on improving the quality of learning of mathematics and science. The quality component of PEEQ is most relevant to the teaching and assessment of mathematics and science.
PEEQ targets primary and lower secondary schools and was conceptualized by pedagogical inspectors, trainers, and Japanese education experts. The experts observed a set of trial classes and administered questionnaires to teachers and administrators. PEEQ attributed great importance to teachers’ deep understanding of students’ ways of thinking and teachers’ ability to assess whether student thinking was correct or deviant, as observed in their answers to test items and questions asked in the classroom. Student errors were regarded as an important source of information for the improvement of teaching and learning (pedagogy of error). A diagnostic test was carried out by the National Center for Assessment, Examinations, and Guidance, in cooperation with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) experts, targeting fifth and sixth grade students in mathematics and science. The questions were designed in accordance with educational objectives set forth in the national curriculum and administered at one grade level lower than the test takers’ (i.e., Grade 4 items were administered to Grade 5 students and Grade 5 items to Grade 6 students). An analysis was done that entailed sorting the percentage rate of correct answers by subject and domain and scoring each question so that the degree of difficulty could be compared among items with different learning objectives. The report confirmed that a large proportion of students has difficulty with calculation and solving very rudimentary mathematics problems, and the same can be said about students’ mastery of science. On the basis of student results, a set of exercise booklets has been designed and distributed to students and teachers to be used for remedial classwork or homework. Regional and local training sessions have been organized on how to make use of these materials. The same process will be duplicated in the 2016–2017 school year at Grades 3, 4, and 7 with the aim of yielding fruitful data and supplementary materials.