Theme: Self-Learning at the Right Level COVID-19 School Closure, and Noncognitive Abilities: Impact Assessment of Kumon Method of Learning in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Speaker: Prof. Yasuyuki Sawada

The February 2026 INNOTECH Seminar Series featured Prof. Yasuyuki Sawada, who presented research on whether individualized self-learning at the appropriate level can help address persistent learning gaps, particularly among disadvantaged learners. Drawing on a randomized controlled trial involving around 1,000 students across 34 BRAC Primary Schools in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the study examined the Kumon Method as a supplementary learning intervention. Students in the treatment group participated in 30-minute daily Kumon sessions over eight months, working through worksheets matched to their individual ability levels. The approach was highlighted for requiring neither teachers to directly provide instruction nor digital technologies, offering a potential response to contexts where qualified teachers, electricity, and internet access may be limited.

The findings showed that individualized self-learning at the right level improved students’ cognitive abilities, particularly mathematics performance, in the short term, while also producing positive effects on noncognitive abilities. A follow-up conducted about six years later, after Bangladesh experienced approximately 18 months of COVID-19-related school closures, found that the earlier effects on cognitive outcomes had attenuated, while effects on noncognitive abilities remained perceptible. The research also found positive peer effects from classroom speed competition, suggesting that peer dynamics can contribute to learning quality without necessarily disadvantaging students of similar abilities. Overall, the presentation positioned individualized self-learning as a promising supplementary approach for addressing learning crises and learning losses, while underscoring the importance of building both cognitive and noncognitive abilities to strengthen learners’ resilience amid disruptions to schooling.

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