BACKGROUND PAPER Education for Innovation: Sorting Fact from Fiction Kirsty Newman, Elisabetta Gentile, and Nina Ashley Dela Cruz DISCLAIMER This background paper was prepared for the report Asian Development Outlook 2020: What Drives Innovation in Asia? It is made available here to communicate the results of the underlying research work with the least possible delay. The manuscript of this paper therefore has not been prepared in accordance with the procedures appropriate to formally-edited texts. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. The ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this document and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by ADB in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or use of the term “country” in this document, is not intended to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. Boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this document do not imply any judgment on the part of the ADB concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. 2020 EDUCATION FOR INNOVATION: SORTING FACT FROM FICTION Kirsty Newman Senior Education Specialist, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, Asian Development Bank (ADB) Elisabetta Gentile Economist, Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department, ADB Nina Ashley Dela Cruz Consultant, Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department, ADB CONTENTS Tables and Figures ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................................... 5 I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 6 II. FOCUS FIRST ON BASIC SKILLS ............................................................................................................. 9 A. The Learning Crisis ............................................................................................................................ 9 B. The Need for Policy Action ............................................................................................................. 12 III. Shift teaching practice to develop innovative capabilities ........................................................... 12 A. Innovation Capabilities .................................................................................................................. 12 B. Teaching Approaches to Develop Innovation Capabilities ........................................................... 14 C. Culturally Embedded Teaching for Innovation .............................................................................. 14 D. Shifting Pedagogical Practice ......................................................................................................... 17 IV. OPTIMIZE THE MIX OF SKILLS ......................................................................................................... 18 A. Broad Curricula ............................................................................................................................... 19 B. Higher and Technical Skills ............................................................................................................. 21 C. Geographic and Social Mobility Within the Education System .................................................... 21 V. DRIVE RESEARCH QUALITY ................................................................................................................. 22 A. Research Capacity Building ............................................................................................................ 23 B. Policy and Regulation for Research Quality .................................................................................. 24 C. International Collaboration ........................................................................................................... 24 D. Measuring Research Quality .......................................................................................................... 27 VI. CATALYZE INNOVATION BY MIXING SKILLSETS AND CREATING ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS .... 27 A. University-Industry Linkages .......................................................................................................... 28 B. Policy Environment ........................................................................................................................ 30 VII. CONCLUSIONS AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................... 30 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................ 32 2 Appendix 1: Teaching Practice Studies ...................................................................................................... 44 Afghanistan ......................................................................................................................................... 44 Australia .............................................................................................................................................. 45 Bangladesh .......................................................................................................................................... 47 Bhutan ................................................................................................................................................. 49 Brunei Darussalam .............................................................................................................................. 49 Cambodia ............................................................................................................................................ 50 Fiji ........................................................................................................................................................ 52 Hong Kong, China ................................................................................................................................ 53 India .................................................................................................................................................... 54 Indonesia ............................................................................................................................................. 56 Japan ................................................................................................................................................... 58 Malaysia .............................................................................................................................................. 59 New Zealand ....................................................................................................................................... 61 People’s Republic of China .................................................................................................................. 62 Philippines ........................................................................................................................................... 65 Republic of Korea ................................................................................................................................ 66 Singapore ............................................................................................................................................ 67 Taipei,China ......................................................................................................................................... 68 Thailand ............................................................................................................................................... 69 Viet Nam ............................................................................................................................................. 70 Appendix 2: Metrics to Benchmark Progress ............................................................................................ 72 3 TABLES AND FIGURES Figure 1: The Relationship between Human Capital and Innovation ......................................................... 7 Figure 2: Five Recommendations for Driving Innovation Through the Education System ........................ 9 Figure 3: Learning Poverty and Gross Domestic Product per Capita in Asian Economies ....................... 10 Figure 4: Learning Poverty and Gross Domestic Product per Capita in Asian Economies ....................... 11 Figure 5: Opening and Closing Innovation Capabilities ............................................................................ 13 Table 1: Description of Teaching Practice in Asia and the Pacific ............................................................ 16 Figure 6: Students’ Learning Time per Week ............................................................................................ 17 Figure 7: Seven Domains