Mimate Preschool Mathematics in Peru 2012

The salient characteristic of Mimate is the use of inquiry and program-based learning with scaffolding techniques. Inquiry-based learning, or co-operative learning as Vygotsky (1978) called it, is based on the idea that social interaction is essential for learning. Inquiry-based learning tends to rely heavily on scaffolding to guide learners through complex tasks and keep the student engaged in what Vygotsky (1978) described as the “zone of proximal development,” the range of concepts between what learners can do on their own and what can be achieved in collaboration with instructors or peers (Ellis and Worthington, 1994). The Mimate program is delivered in 45-minute sessions so it can fit smoothly into the daily schedule of Peruvian preschools, and includes a workbook, formative assessments, and visits from teacher assistants to ensure the quality of teacher-student interactions.

Concurrently to the experimental evaluation, we collected data to produce rough measures of the program’s actual implementation both in terms of quantity and quality. First, we collected administrative data on all the sessions implemented by each school. The total program planned 86 sessions. The administrative data implies that, on average, 66% of the sessions were implemented. It is important to highlight that during the school year 2012, a teacher strike suspended up to three months of classes in some schools. In total, 87% of teachers in the sample participated in the strike at some point in time. This rate was higher in rural areas (95%) than urban areas (83%). The partial implementation of the program implied that the actual coverage of the topics planned to be taught in the last three months of the school year was smaller than that for topics planned for the beginning of the year. For instance, while all the topics planned for March to July were implemented by all schools, none of the topics planned for November and December were covered. Given the intended order of the sessions, this partial implementation means that actual coverage of the numerical literacy and the understanding shapes parts of the program was significantly different. In fact, while 82% of the sessions directly related to shapes were implemented, just 57% of the sessions directly related to numeracy were covered. This is an important finding to consider in our empirical analyses.

2012-03-28

2012-12-07

To measure the development of mathematics skills, we applied preschool-adapted versions of the “Early Grade Mathematical Assessment” (EGMA) originally developed by the Research Triangle Institute International. The tests measure various abilities related to mathematics with the following exercises: Comparing quantity, basic shape recognition, advanced shape recognition, basic object counting, advanced object counting, number selection, advanced number selection, fine motor skills, symmetry, shape sequence, number sequence (clock), number sequence (calendar), additive composition, geometric shapes, and addition and subtraction word problems.

Increased early mathematics skills in preschoolers.

Early literacy skills, were measured through a preschool version of the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA).

A randomized controlled trial employing randomization at the school level forms the basis of the study design. We randomly selected 53 treatment schools and 54 control schools. The treatment group would adopt the Mimate program in their preschool classrooms, while the control group would not receive the intervention and continue using traditional pedagogical practices (as we discussed above, generally this means teaching practices based on frontal instruction and on memorization and repetition) . The randomization considers the existence of six strata that come from the combination of the school location (urban/rural) and the city in which the school is located. Baseline data were collected in March 2012. A first follow-up was collected at the end of the school year in December 2012 and a second follow-up in December 2013, one year after the treatment was completed and when the students were at the end of their first grade of primary education. In total, 2,400 children participated in the baseline and short-term data collections, while 2,416 participated in the baseline and medium-term data collections.

The general format of the data collection processes was very similar, consisting of the application of student tests in the baseline and two follow-ups and the application of parent and teacher surveys in the baseline and first follow-up. To measure the development of mathematics skills, we applied preschool-adapted versions of the “Early Grade Mathematical Assessment” (EGMA) originally developed by the Research Triangle Institute International. The tests measure various abilities related to mathematics with the following exercises: Comparing quantity, basic shape recognition, advanced shape recognition, basic object counting, advanced object counting, number selection, advanced number selection, fine motor skills, symmetry, shape sequence, number sequence (clock), number sequence (calendar), additive composition, geometric shapes, and addition and subtraction word problems. In our analysis we look at results of the items included in EGMA at three different levels of aggregation: (i) an overall index that includes all the items in EGMA, (ii) two indices by curricular area, one for items related to numerical abilities and the other for items related to shapes, and (iii) measures of the development of each ability included in EGMA. In addition to mathematics tests, we also applied instruments to assess the development of non-mathematics outcomes: the Raven test of general cognitive ability and a test of early literacy skills test . The questionnaires applied to teachers and parents collected information about the child’s classroom and home experience. We use the information from these surveys for two purposes. First, to study treatment heterogeneous effects (such as classroom size, access to educational materials, teacher’s education, mother’s education, dominant language at home, etc.). Second, the information from these surveys allow us to understand the mechanisms through which the program may have affected learning outcomes. In addition, to help with the interpretation of the results, we collected process information about actual program implementation in all treatment schools. Lastly, between the months of October and December of 2012 we also visited 44 randomly selected schools (37 treatment and 7 control schools) to collect measures of classroom infrastructure, and to observe teacher-student interactions and student-student interactions. Mathematics classes were videotaped and analyzed using the CLASS (Class Assessment Scoring System) rubric, which codes teaching practices in three areas: emotional support (i.e., generating a respectful environment and listening to children), classroom organization (i.e., managing time and keeping control of students), and teaching support (i.e., developing concepts thoughtfully and reinforcing student learning).

The randomization was done by a computer.

The empirical framework for the main analyses uses observations on children who attended 107 schools that were randomly assigned to the treatment and control groups.

Yes

Yes 107 schools.

In total, 2,400 children participated in the baseline and short-term data collections, while 2,416 participated in the baseline and medium-term data collections.

We randomly selected 53 treatment schools and 54 control schools.

MDE: 0.268; Power: 0.80; intra-cluster correlation: 0.305