MATEC Project: Technology at the service of personalized Mathematics learning

MATEC is the educational project for teacher training and support that promotes an innovative teaching methodology to enhance the learning of mathematics through technology. It was created in response to the declining performance in mathematics, the low inclusion of technology in classroom practices and the need for new tools to personalise student learning and meet the challenge of diversity in the classroom.

Innovation Summary

Innovation Overview

MATEC is the project that seeks to enhance the teaching of mathematics and promote the personalised learning of students through digital technology. In 2022, 122 5th grade primary school teachers participated in a process of training and pedagogical support focused on the incorporation of the High Tech - High Touch methodology (HT-HT: International Teaching Methodology promoted by the University of Arizona and the Education Commission Asia), the deepening of the use of the Matific platform and complementarity under the problem-based learning approach. As an innovative and pilot experience, MATEC focused on the process of evaluating the impact of teachers' classroom practices on the mathematics performance of their students. For this purpose, a random assignment was made to a control group and two intervention groups that received training in HTHT.

The main objectives of the project were:

To promote the adoption, integration and use of Technology (MATIFIC) in classroom practices.
To increase teachers' appropriation of the information and data provided by the technology (MATIFIC reports) for personalisation and pedagogical decision making.
Improve student performance and mathematics learning.
To recognise and value personalisation as a fundamental pedagogical tool for teachers.

The evaluation involved two measurements, a pre-intervention and a post-intervention. In each evaluation round, a national online mathematics test (SEA Platform) was administered, as well as self-administered surveys to teachers and students. This was complemented by a qualitative evaluation of the process, using focus groups to learn first-hand about the teaching experience of participating in MATEC. Classroom observations were also carried out to provide contextual information on how the project actually reached the classrooms. To monitor the project, a dashboard was built with indicators of use of the platform (MATIFIC) at class level, and a communication channel of whatsapp and mails with a role of ‘Responsible for the teaching community and communication’ specific to the project. It allowed to follow up with teachers and to take action to promote classroom intervention.

Based on the above, MATEC is considered to be a project with a high potential for scalability.

There are currently three lines of work:

A guide - digital and printed - for the use of MATIFIC in mathematics teaching, developed by the CEIBAL Mathematics Department team for the 4th, 5th and 6th grades of primary education.
A large-scale MOOC course on Edux, available to all teachers in the education system.
The ALTEC project, based on the HTHT methodology but applied to Computational Thinking and Computer Science in secondary education (7th grade).

Innovation Description

What Makes Your Project Innovative?

An innovative aspect is that it is both a teacher development project and a research project with a gold-standard impact evaluation design. MATEC is the local adaptation of an internationally innovative methodology (High Touch High Tech) that seeks to promote learning improvement through technology and personalisation. Its innovation lies in adapting a methodology to the Uruguayan context, designing a training process for teachers in a new perspective in the national educational context. It has also been innovative in deepening the strategies for the inclusion of technology in the classroom. The aim was not only to provide digital infrastructure, but also to accompany and train teachers to take advantage of technology to promote better learning. In short, MATEC innovates in seeking a cultural change in teaching practice and that pedagogical decisions are made more frequently based on evidence.

Innovation Development

Collaborations & Partnerships

The National Administration of Public Education of Uruguay (ANEP) provided the development of the mathematics test (SEA+), technical support in management, sample design and availability. The Education Commission Asia (ECA) is the technical partner that provided consultancy for the adaptation of the HTHT methodology to the Uruguayan context and conducted the external impact evaluation of the project. The IDB was the technical and financial cooperation partner for the implementation of the project.

Users, Stakeholders & Beneficiaries

About 3000 students participated. The intervention group was exposed to the HTHT methodology. 122 teachers were trained in the methodology. Another 40 teachers participated as a control group. MATIFIC is the mathematical platform with which CEIBAL has a commercial relationship. It provided licences and access to student usage data. The General Directorate of Initial and Primary Education supported us with the dissemination and permissions for the participation of teachers.

Innovation Reflections

Results, Outcomes & Impacts

The results show that there was an effect on the use of MATIFIC. In the intervention group, the completion rates of the exercises are significantly higher and one third of these students (intervention) have a ‘high use’ of the platform while in the control group only 10% have a ‘high use’ of the platform. Being part of the intervention group and the intensive use of MATIFIC has significant effects on the improvement of the mathematics test score. The intervention had a positive medium to large effect of 0.33 SD.

Heterogeneous effects:

Null effect among non-users
In the maximum use group, treatment students outperform control students by 0.76 standard deviations (maximum effect).

Challenges and Failures

In the first few months there was low usage of the MATIFIC platform and it was perceived that teachers were not clear specifically what was expected of them in the project. Faced with these challenges, it was decided to take action. We applied behavioural tools with the teachers, monitored the use of the platform and focused the virtual training meetings on guiding teachers on how to plan a class with the HTHT methodology.

Conditions for Success

A differential was to manage with a coordinating team integrating the key areas: Project Lab (expertise in project management and design); Evaluation & Monitoring and Mathematics. Key support areas (Connectivity, Device Delivery, Benefit Management, Data Unit) were included from the beginning. It allowed to follow up on the implementation and to be able to take action in an agile way in the face of emergencies and challenges that arose. Another key element was the personal support provided to teachers. A communication and support strategy was designed with visits, messages, virtual meetings and phone calls. It generated a sense of belonging and a very high retention of teachers in the project.

Replication

MATEC is an example of innovation that generates institutional capacities for replicability. It was initially a proof of concept and then a pilot. This allowed the incorporation of lessons learned (evaluation design, intervention and implementation). Being a scalable project the initial milestones in this regard are:

Specialised materials and guides for teaching mathematics with the Matific platform available for teachers of 4th, 5th and 6th year of primary education.
Self-assisted MOOC course in EduX available for primary school teachers.
Implementation in 2023 of a ‘twin’ project in secondary education and for teaching Computational Thinking. Covered around 6000 students.

Lessons Learned

First of all, it is important to design projects centred on the users, to understand their context, needs and motivations in order to be able to promote the expected effects and results. It is also essential to plan the strategy of support and communication with teachers. The sense of belonging and understanding what is expected from the project is fundamental for teacher retention in the projects. Finally, and above all in the public sector, it is essential to include and collaborate with all relevant actors in order to achieve impact projects (internal areas, other public bodies, users, private sector).

Anything Else?

The MATEC project has had a very positive assessment in the teaching community. The qualitative evaluations (focus groups) have been fundamental to understand the teaching experience and to adapt/improve the proposal for a greater and better reception by teachers. It is important to continue the search for innovative strategies to take advantage of the best of digital technology in the service of education and to provide teachers with the skills and opportunities to achieve better learning. MATEC is a clear example of this possible path.