Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies (GSICS), Kobe University
I conducted my internship at PADECO Co., Ltd. in Lao PDR as a JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) intern from August to September 2024, under the supervision of Ms. Akiko Nakano, the deputy project leader of iTEAM (Improving Teaching and Learning of Mathematics). During this period, I was assigned to iTEAM and engaged in an ODA project called “Project for Strengthening Teacher Capacity to Improve Primary Mathematics Lessons.” The project aims to support implementing a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) system that leverages the new mathematics textbooks and teaching guides introduced by the preceding ODA project to improve in-service primary teachers’ teaching skills. I was involved in the following activities.
First, to support CPD system implementation, I participated in events such as CPD training for teachers at the Teacher Training College (TTC), ICT training for in-service teachers, and CPD activity planning at TTC-affiliated primary schools. I also took part in weekly CPD and ICT online meetings, took minutes, documented activities with photos, and prepared articles for the JICA Laos Office Facebook page. These experiences provided me with valuable opportunities to engage with individuals who will play a crucial role in enhancing primary mathematics instruction. Additionally, this experience enabled me to deepen my understanding of the implementation process of the CPD system, which involves collaboration among the DESB (District Education and Sports Bureau), PESS (Provincial Education and Sports Service), TTC teachers, and in-service primary teachers and integrating them into CPD activities at the school level.
Second, I conducted a primary school monitoring assessment to evaluate the use of smartboards and tablets in classrooms following the ICT training for in-service primary teachers. I also visited TTC-affiliated kindergartens, investigating their specific educational challenges through interviews with in-service teachers, and reported my findings to the project team. This experience allowed me to identify challenges such as insufficient government funding for early childhood education, issues of repetition in the kindergartens, and primary students’ limited basic reading and writing skills—issues I had not uncovered through literature reviews in my research.
This internship experience was meaningful and significantly impacted my future research activities and career development. Particularly, it was an irreplaceable learning opportunity for me to propose existing challenges and ways to improve the implementation of this ODA project at the final debriefing meeting at the JICA Laos Office, where I received informative feedback from the education policy advisor, JICA Laos officers, and Ms. Nakano from iTEAM. I have also become aware of the appeal of the development consultancy profession and have gained some insight into my future career choices. I would like to make the most of what I gained from the internship in my doctoral dissertation and career development.
Last but not least, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for providing me with this wonderful opportunity to PADECO Co., Ltd., and iTEAM members for their warm welcome, to Mr. Yasumasa Nagaoka, the education policy advisor, for his insightful feedback on my final proposal, to Professor Keiichi Ogawa for his generous guidance and encouragement, and to all those who supported the school monitoring and interview surveys.
Authored by Natsumi Shibata (Doctoral Student)
