Cultural villages as contexts for mediating culture and mathematics education in the South African curriculum
Palabras clave:
Indigenisation, Mathematisation, Cultural villages, Culturally-relevant pedagogy, Indigenización, Matematización, Aldeas culturales, Pedagogía culturalmente relevanteResumen
Abstract
Some mathematics educational reform policies indicate that mathematics education should be connected to learners’ cultures. However, teaching in schools rarely brings the interconnection between mathematics and culture in pedagogically informed ways. Connections are often done superficially; the curriculum in schools lacks content and specific strategies that enable the making of the connections explicit in the context of teaching. The qualitative study from which this paper emerges worked with three mathematics teachers in an attempt to teach mathematics in ways that connect key concepts with culture. Through mathematizing culturally-based activities performed at a cultural village, two Grade 9 mathematics topics in the South African curriculum were indigenised. A teaching unit on the indigenised topics was designed and implemented in five Grade 9 classes at the same school. The paper demonstrates that the experience of designing, implementing, and reflecting on the intervention study had some positive contribution to the participating teachers’ pedagogical repertoire. Teachers saw the possibility of using cultural villages as instructional resources for connecting mathematics education to learners’ cultures in the South African curriculum. I argue that cultural villages can be used as contexts for mediating culture and mathematics education.
Resumen
Algunas políticas de reforma educativa de matemáticas indican que la educación matemática debe estar conectada a las culturas de los alumnos. Sin embargo, la enseñanza en las escuelas rara vez hace la conexión entre las matemáticas y la cultura de manera pedagógicamente informadas. Las conexiones se hacen a menudo superficialmente; el plan de estudios en las escuelas carece de estrategias de contenido y estrategias específicas que permitan la realización de las conexiones explícitas en la enseñanza. El estudio cualitativo del cual este trabajo surge trabajó con tres profesores de matemáticas en un intento de enseñar esta disciplina en formas que conectan los conceptos clave de la cultura. A través de las actividades culturales realizadas en una aldea cultural, dos cursos del noveno grado del currículo sudafricano fueron indigenizados. Una unidad didáctica sobre los temas indigenizados fue diseñada e implementada en cinco clases de noveno grado en la misma escuela. El trabajo demuestra que la experiencia en el diseño, implementación, y reflexión sobre el estudio de intervención tuvo alguna contribución positiva al repertorio pedagógico de los profesores participantes. Los maestros vieron la posibilidad de utilizar las aldeas culturales como recursos didácticos para la conexión de la educación matemática a las culturas de los alumnos en el plan de estudios de Sudáfrica. Sostengo que las aldeas culturales pueden ser utilizadas como contextos para la mediación de la cultura y la educación matemática.
Descargas
Citas
Ascher, M. and Ascher, R. (1994). “Ethnomathematics.” In I. Grattan-Guiness, (Ed.), Companion Encyclopedia of the History and Philosophy of the Mathematical Sciences, (pp. 1545-1554). Volume 2. New York: Routledge.
Bishop, A. J. (1988). Mathematics Education and Culture. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 2(2), 179-190.
Bishop, A. J. (2001). Educating student teachers about values in mathematics education. In F. L. Lin & T. Cooney, (Eds.), Making sense of Mathematics Teacher Education (pp. 233-246). Holland: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Bossard, C, Kermearrec, G, Buche, C, & Tisseau, J. (2008). Transfer of learning in virtual environments: a new challenge? Virtual Reality, 12, 151-161.
Boutte, G. S., & Hill, E. L. (2006). African American communities: Implications for culturally relevant teaching. New Education, 2(4), 311-329.
Boyle-Baise, M. (2005). Preparing community-oriented teachers: Reflections from a multicultural service-learning project. Journal of Teacher Education, 56(5), 446-458.
Cohen, L. & Mannion, L. (1994). Research Methods in Education (4th Ed). USA, Routledge
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2000). Research Methods in Education (5th Ed). London: Routledge Falmer.
D‟Ambrosio, U. (1979). Adequate Mathematics for Third World Countries: Considerations and Strategies. In M. E. A. El Tom (Ed.), Developing Mathematics in Third World Countries (pp. 33-46). North Holland: Amsterdam.
Ce Beer, M. (2010). Recommendations for collaboration for culturally-relevant teaching and development in Higher Education. In South African Qualifications Authority-SAQA (Comp.) Towards a map of NQF-related research: Abstracts and summaries for the NQF Research Conference (pp. 30), South Africa: SAQA
Desmone, L. M. (2009). Improving Impact Studies of Teachers' Professional Development: Toward a better conceptualisation and measures. Educational Researcher, 58(3), 181-199.
Education, D. O. (2002). Revised National Curriculum Statement Grades R-9 (Schools) Policy, Mathematics. Pretoria, South Africa.
Elliot, R., & Kazemi, E. (2007). Research Mathematics Leader Learning: Investigating the mediation of math knowledge needed for teaching on leaders' collective work in mathematics. In T. Lamberg, & L. R. Wiest (Eds.), Proceedings of the annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for Psychology of Mathematics Education, (pp. 819-826). University of Nevada, Reno: Stateline (Lake Tahoe), NV.
Ernest, P. (2001).Mathematics, Education and Philosophy: An International Perspective. London: Falmer Press.
Freeman, D. J., & Porter, A. C. (1989). Do textbooks dictate content of mathematics instruction in elementary schools?. American Educational Research Journal, 26(3), 403-421.
Gerdes, P. (1999). Geometry from Africa: Mathematical and Educational Explorations. USA: The Mathematical Association of America.
Hiebert, J., Gallimore, R., & Stigler, J. (2002). A knowledge base for the teaching profession: what would it look and how can we get one?. Educational Researcher, 31(5), 3–15.
Kazima, M. (2013). Relevance and school mathematics. In S. K. Kwofie, M. B. Ogunniyi, O. Amosun, K. R. Langenhoven, & S. Dinie (Eds.), Proceedings of the 21st annual meeting of the Southern African association for research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (pp. 14-28). Cape Town, South Africa: University of Western Cape.
Khisty, L. L. (1995). Making inequality: Issues of language and meanings in mathematics teaching with Hispanic students. In W. G. Secada, E. Fennema, & L. B. Adajian (Eds.), New directions for equity in mathematics education (pp. 279-297). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kroma, S. (1996). Polarizing Science Education in developing countries through Indigenous Knowledge. Retrieved May 10, 2005,from http://www.3(3) Kroma.htm
Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The dreamkeepers: Successful teaching for African- Americanstudents. San Francisco : Jossey-Bass.
Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). But that‟s Just Good Teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy. Theory into Practice, 34(3), 159-165.
Lerman, S. (1990). Alternative Perspectives of the Nature of Mathematics and their influence on the Teaching of Mathematics. British Educational Research Journal, 16(1), 53-61.
Little, J. W. (1993). Teachers‟ professional development in a climate of educational reform. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 15(2), 129-151.
Madusise, S. (2010). Exploring the potential of using basket and mat weaving in the teaching and learning of mathematics. Occasional Paper No. 64. Cape Town, Sudáfrica: CASAS.
Mearns, M. A. (2006). Conservation of Indigenous Knowledge. Unpublished DLitt et Phil thesis. South Africa: University of Johannesburg.
Mearns, M. A., & du Toit, A. S. A. (2008). Knowledge audit: Tools of the trade transmitted to tools for tradition. International Journal of Management, 28(3), 161-167.
Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative Research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Mosimege, M. (2003). Mathematics and its use in daily activities of workers at South African cultural villages. Retrieved May 10, 2005, from http://www.icme-organisers.dk/tsg07/Mosimege.pdf
Mosimege, M. (2004). Mathematical knowledge and its use in daily activities of workers at South African cultural villages. Paper presented at the 10th International Congress on Mathematical Education, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Mosimege, M. (2012). Mathematical connections and contexts. In D. Mogari, A. Mji & U. I. Ogbonnaya (Eds.), Proceedings of the ISTE International Conference: Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (pp. 22-28).
Neuman, S. B. (1999). Creating continuity in early literacy: Linking home and school with a Culturally responsive approach. In L.B.Gambrell, L.M. Morrows, S.B. Neuman, & M. Pressley (Eds.), Best practices in literacy instruction, (pp. 258-270). New York: Guilford.
Resnick, L. (1988). Learning in school and out. Educational Researcher, 16(9), 13-20.
Reys, R., Reys, B., & Lapman, R. (2003). Assessing the impact of standards-based middle grades mathematics curriculum materials on student achievement. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 34(1), 74-95.
Seah, W. T., & Bishop, A. J. (2003). Values, mathematics and society: making the connections. Prime Number, 18(3), 4-9.
Shannon, A. (2007). Task, Context and Assessment. In A. H. Schoenfeld (Ed.), Assessing Mathematical Proficiency (pp. 177-191). New York: Mathematical Sciences Research Institute Publications.
Troutman, J., & McCoy, L. (2008). Re-membering Mathematics: The Effects of Culturally Relevant Lessons in Math History on Students' Attitudes. The Journal of Mathematics and Culture, 1(3), 14-51.
Vescio, V., Ross, D., & Adams, A. (2008). A review of research on the impact of professional learning communities on teaching practice and student learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24, 80-91.
Yin, R. K. (2003). Case Study Research. London, England: Sage Publications.
Descargas
Publicado
Cómo citar
Número
Sección
Licencia
Derechos de autor
Una vez que el artículo es aceptado por la Revista Latinoamericana de Etnomatemática, los/as autores ceden los derechos para publicar y distribuir el texto electrónicamente, así como para archivarlo y hacerlo accesible en línea.
Los autores podrán distribuir su propio material sin solicitar permiso a la Revista Latinoamericana de Etnomatemática, siempre que se mencione que la versión original se encuentra en http://www.revista.etnomatematica.org
Copyright © 2008, Revista Latinoamericana de Etnomatemática
Todos los contenidos de la Revista Latinoamericana de Etnomatemática se publican bajo la Licencia Creative Commons Atribución 4.0 Internacional y pueden ser usados gratuitamente dando los créditos a los autores y a la Revista, como lo establece esta licencia.
