■ Overview of the Project
As part of an EDU-Port Japan Supported Project, Casio Computer Co., Ltd is providing inquiry-based math education using scientific calculators to senior high school students in both Thailand and Indonesia, in an initiative for the development of human resources who ‘think and continue learning for themselves’. Specifically, we have analyzed and assessed the effectiveness of such in the development of teaching materials, teacher training and contributing to both the academic achievement and the acquisition of problem-solving skill attained in classes using our scientific calculators. Below follows a summary of our works in Indonesia.
■ Interview with the Director General of Teachers and Education Personnel, Ministry of Education and Culture
‘The development of human resources capable of meeting the needs of new industries’ is a national strategy of Indonesia, and in order to achieve this target, the curriculum is being reformed so as to enable students to acquire High-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS), such as analytical ability, evaluation skills and creativity.
In an interview with Dr. Iwan Syahril, Ph.D., the then Director General of Teachers and Education Personnel at the Ministry of Education and Culture, we described the content of our project to develop human resources who ‘think and continue learning for themselves’ targeting the acquisition of HOTS through providing of inquiry-based math education using our scientific calculators. Dr. Iwan Syahril, Ph.D., expressed a great interest, mentioning that our focus such as the logical thinking ability, creativity and calculating ability matched the direction of Indonesian educational reform.
Interview with Dr. Iwan Syahril Ph.D., the then Director General of Teachers and Education Personnel, Ministry of Education and Culture
（29th November 2021）
■ Pilot Classes
With high schools in the Special Capital Region of Jakarta chosen as the pilot schools, a pilot class focusing on the acquisition of HOTS were held.
Prior to that, the development of teaching materials and training of the pilot schools’ teachers were carried out in close collaboration with the local education stakeholders, to ensure that the content was suited to the educational culture of Indonesia.
A pilot lesson in progress
■ Analysis and Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Pilot Classes
Academic achievement tests were carried out before and after the pilot classes, both in experimental classes for which classes were held using our scientific calculators with teaching materials developed for the pilot classes after teachers had undergone teacher training, and in control classes taught in the conventional way using conventional teaching materials.
Results showed that there was a greater improvement in the test scores of the experimental classes than in the scores of the control classes.
■ Changes in Awareness of Teachers and Students
Immediately after the adoption of the EDU-Port Japan Supported Project, we visited the relevant agencies and the pilot schools to request their cooperation and to listen to their needs. While the principals of the pilot schools were in favor of the pilot lessons being held, they concerned math teachers who want to continue their current teaching style without using scientific calculators. Therefore, it seemed to us that the key point would be whether we would be able to convey its benefit.
In fact, however, the math teachers appealed to their principals and curriculum coordinators to be allowed to continue classes using scientific calculators even after the pilot classes were over. In part due to this appeal, classes using software enabling a scientific calculator to be used on a computer (emulator) are continuing to be held. In addition, at the request of the teachers, the school principals have decided to purchase Casio’s scientific calculators as school equipment from the school budget; and from the new school term starting in July 2023 a new curriculum of lessons routinely using our scientific calculators is due to commence.
Considering our initial concern over whether the math teachers would change their mindset and recognize the benefit of classes using our scientific calculators, this turn of events came as a very pleasant surprise, and we recognized the importance of having people actually try out our scientific calculator.
Furthermore, although many students said that they were not good at calculating and didn’t like math, we heard that after the pilot classes students spoke out, such as ‘The classes with scientific calculators were fun,’ and ‘When is the next class?’
■ Striving for enabling math classes using Casio’s scientific calculators to take root
We were able to conclude a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia.
We will continue expanding our project from Jakarta to other provinces, focusing on the development of teaching materials, teacher training and lesson practices, with an aim of contributing the new national curriculum’s target, by providing inquiry-based math education using our scientific calculators.
The conclusion of the MOU with the Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia（9th September 2022）
We do hear from teachers that they experience difficulties because they do not understand how to teach the new curriculum. We would like to bear in mind that our task is not to unilaterally provide teaching materials and teacher training, but to properly understand the problems that arise in the classroom and provide appropriate solutions to them.
