“Even a thief takes ten years to learn his trade”
by Japanese proverb
Welcome to my first post in book category. In this occasion, I would share my opinion about the very special book titled “Clever Lands” by Lucy Crehan. Who is she? She is an education activist, actually a teacher, and now works in team advising foreign governments on education reform at Education Development Trust. Actually, I’m not finished yet reading this book. However, I found some interesting stuff that I want to share in my blog.
Let’s jump into the content. Clever Lands is a non-fiction book explaining about the education in several countries. Especially in countries or cities which have highest education level based on PISA test. For example, Finland, Japan, Singapore, and etc. Lucy Crehan visited and surveyed those countries and cities. She directly involved in their education activities, schools, and interviewed some experts there. I might be going to write about this book for several separated post, but for now I’ll write about Japanese education system. Not exactly education system or something very formal, but it would be more likely about the cultures.
Scaffolded Learning
Japanese students, based on PISA tests, had high score at problem-solving. Problem-solving means cognitive skill to understand a problem and solving it without obvious solutions. How does education method in Japan can reaches this level? We begin with the example explained in the book. In a Mathematics class in Japan elementary school, the teacher was starting the class by asking the students. She asked about the teapots, vases, and bottle brought to the upfront. Then, the class was asked which container could be contained the most amount of water. The students came with various answers. Even with the nonsense answer, the math teacher really didn’t mind. All answers can be delivered and should be received by the whole class member. By the times, she would gave some clues toward the right solutions. Then after someone said the closest solutions, the teacher showed a cup, filled the cup by water, and poured the water into teapots, vases, and bottle. Subsequently, the number of cups required to filled each container are expressed using bar charts by the teacher. And then the teacher asked once again, which container would contained the biggest volume of water. The solutions would be easily answered by almost all students.
That’s how math class works in Japan and similarly by the others subject. Of course, that was only simple example in an elementary school class but represent the whole Japanese education system. The objective of above math class is introducing the bar chart. The class would starts with the questions of an example. Students are let to think several possible answers. Meanwhile, the teacher gives the clues in order to arrange the students thinking way. This would makes students to think by the right structure/steps unconsciously. The more frequent this method is applicated, the students’ problem-solving skill would increase rapidly. Main element here is the teachers wouldn’t show the solutions immediately. Thinking and contemplating process are the most important aspects for problem-solving skill. However, the guided way of thinking by the competent teachers is still needed (in this instance by clues given).
I have experienced by these two methods in Indonesia: teachers let us thinking for a while and teachers immediately give the right answer. I found that the first one give me better understanding and long-lasting memories to the learning materials. That’s how this method is called scaffolded learning. We are guided to know the way to the top through a series of platforms, but we reach the top by our own effort. Hence, it leads us to the flexibility of solving others kind of problems. I wouldn’t say that the second method is wrong, regarding that people have their own learning ways.
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