Interdisciplinary Journal of Sociality Studies

Pedagogical and Social Transformations in Post-Apartheid Mathematics Education

Hlamulo Wiseman Mbhiza, Zingiswa Jojo — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0200

This special issue addresses the complexities of mathematics teaching and learning in post-apartheid South Africa by exploring themes such as pedagogical reasoning, decoloniality, rural education challenges, and teacher preparation. It contributes to the ongoing dialogue on mathematics education's role in social transformation, enhancing the body of knowledge and deepening practitioners' understanding of its impact.

Pedagogical responsiveness: Focus on the Ukuqonda institute’s mode of engagement in mathematics

Satsope Maoto, Manare Setati, Gabriel Mphuthi — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0200

This paper was prompted by mathematics teachers’ challenges in implementing the proposed framework that centres on teaching for understanding, as opposed to teaching aimed at producing marks as evidence of achievement. Teaching for understanding in mathematics, among other factors, requires the creation of engaging and inclusive learning environments underpinned by teachers’ pedagogical responsiveness to the diverse needs of learners. We investigated pedagogical responsiveness, focusing on the Ukuqonda Institute’s mode of engagement in mathematics. We specifically pursued two research questions: 1) What are the key elements of the Ukuqonda Institute’s mode of engagement in mathematics? and 2) What characterised the pedagogical responsiveness of mathematics educators at the Ukuqonda Institute? We adopted collaborative autoethnography and used two data sets generated from audio recordings captured by the authors. We employed narrative analysis and organised the findings using the characteristics of pedagogical responsiveness as heuristic devices. The findings show that the participants’ pedagogical responsiveness was stimulated by the iterative process of team planning, deliberate implementation, and reflection. The prevalent characteristics were learner interactions, learner focus, inclusivity, dialogue and relationality, knowledge work, social justice, and equity. We recommend that similar studies be conducted targeting pedagogical responsiveness with a focus on other mathematical themes. Furthermore, this study suggests that, to remain pedagogically responsive, there should be constructive alignment among the types of tasks, questions, classroom interactions, and targeted content that underpin mathematics teaching and learning across different educational levels.

Decolonising mathematics education: Teachers’ initial experiences of using ethnomathematical games in the intermediate phase

Safura Meeran — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The African Agenda 2063 strives to attain the goals of peace and prosperity, and to do so, there must be a process of political liberation and decolonisation. In the South African context, decolonisation involves transforming the mathematics curriculum to one that is African by employing cultural approaches such as ethnomathematics. However, South African mathematics teachers still rely on Eurocentric methods for teaching mathematics. To decolonise mathematics in the Intermediate Phase, a project was initiated that utilised indigenous games for teaching mathematics. This paper aims to identify whether such efforts to decolonise mathematics education will be accepted or rejected by the mathematics teachers involved in this study. The paper is framed by the Critical Mathematics Pedagogy Theory. A qualitative case study approach was employed to collect data through a focus group interview with ten mathematics teachers who teach in rural and semi-rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The findings demonstrate that ethnomathematical games encourage mathematics learning, that teachers’ initial apprehensions gave way to enthusiasm, that learners were excited to play and learn, and that teachers found it effortless to integrate mathematical concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, factorisation, and quadrilaterals with the indigenous games of Morabaraba, Tshetershere, Diketo, and Kgati. Recommendations include that mathematics educational policies incorporate ethnomathematics as a policy directive and that teachers receive training in alternative cultural pedagogical practices for teaching mathematics, such as the use of ethnomathematics. Future research endeavours should focus on finding avenues to sustain ethnomathematics in the classroom.

Pedagogical responsiveness of mathematics instruction at inclusive secondary schools: A particularistic case study

Leena Ngonyofi Kanandjebo — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0200

This qualitative particularistic case study explores the perspectives and experiences of learners with visual and hearing impairments regarding the teaching of mathematics. Extreme-case sampling was employed to select four learners (three hearing impaired and one visually impaired) from the only two inclusive secondary schools in the northern part of Namibia. The study qualitative study utilised open-ended questionnaires and interviews. Verbatim quotes from the research participants were used as inferences to identify descriptors within the first-generation Cultural Historical Activity Theory, which served as a theoretical and analytical tool. The findings revealed that the activity system of learners with visual and hearing impairments exhibited tensions that negatively affected their performance in mathematics. Learners experienced marginal responsive pedagogy in mathematics classrooms due to teachers' lack of knowledge and pedagogical skills for delivering meaningful mathematical instruction. While learners without disabilities struggled with comprehension and effective communication skills, learners with visual and hearing impairments faced a lack of equipment to support the conceptualisation and visualisation of mathematical subject content. The authors emphasise the critical importance of addressing communication barriers and adapting teaching practices to support the learning and inclusion of visually and hearing-impaired learners in mathematics, with an emphasis on mathematical language that promotes a better understanding of mathematical concepts. Teacher training should also incorporate responsive pedagogy to enhance outcomes and foster a more inclusive learning environment that promotes academic success and positive social experiences for all learners. Recommendations at a policy level, including advocating for a decolonised curriculum were made.

Minimal change in achievement in high-stakes mathematics examinations in low socio-economic status environments in post-apartheid South Africa

Benita P. Nel, Cyril Julie, Faaiz Gierdien, Marius Simons, Bruce May — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Since various curriculum versions have been implemented in the post-apartheid era, achievement results in high-stakes mathematics examinations are still structured along socio-economic status lines. Continuing professional development (CPD) for mathematics teachers is widely viewed as a mechanism to address this issue. This study uses a specific CPD project to explore the question, “Are three decades-long enough to enhance achievement outcomes in high-stakes mathematics examinations for learners from low socio-economic status environments?” Bricolage is employed as the underlying research framework due to the multifaceted nature of CPD. In one of the residential institutes in 2018, a 7-item questionnaire, based on features of effective CPD and containing four ordinal response categories, was administered to 55 participating teachers (30 females and 25 males). To acknowledge the complex nature of CPD, themes were developed and primarily analysed using descriptive statistics. The analysis revealed that, although mathematics teachers respond favourably to practising previously taught material, there are factors that hinder the sustainability of such an approach. It is concluded that 30 years is not a sufficient timespan to expect significant change. It is recommended that drastic measures be taken regarding the continuing professional development of mathematics teachers to address disparities along class and racial lines.

Culturally responsive pedagogy for the promotion of understanding Mathematics: The case of rural situated primary schools in Post-apartheid South Africa

Zingiswa Jojo — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The language of instruction, awareness, and creativity are at the centre of the realities faced by both mathematics teachers and learners, shaped by a socio-political history whose impact and legacy transcend generations in South Africa. Consequently, the dire state of mathematics education in South Africa remains a cause for concern. Recognising the need to conceptualise and develop culturally responsive pedagogy, this paper presents the results from the third phase of a three-year longitudinal study focused on teachers' journeys in infusing indigenous knowledge when teaching geometry to senior primary learners in rural schools. This qualitative study, which followed a case study design, explored several approaches to discussing, teaching, and considering an immediate, perpetual, operative, and discursive approach as culturally disruptive pedagogy used as an indigenous way to promote geometric understanding. Observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted with two purposefully selected participants after their lesson presentations to allow them to clarify, elaborate, and introduce more detail, enriching their explanations of the artefacts used. Results indicated that teachers’ references to several artefacts and indigenous activities, such as using straws, wool, and staplers, promoted the understanding of the construction of prisms and pyramids. Recommendations include training mathematics teachers to prepare lessons that incorporate indigenous knowledge and to explore ethnomathematics as a culturally responsive teaching strategy, particularly in contextualising mathematical geometry learning, so that this concept can have relevance and meaning for rural students.

Post-apartheid complexities of Xitsonga and mathematics teaching in rural foundation phase classrooms: A case of number patterns

Hlamulo Wiseman Mbhiza, Ayanda Zondo, Sibongile Mlangeni, Vuyelwa Brenda Mpitso — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The study conducted in rural Acornhoek, Mpumalanga, addresses the inadequate research and understanding surrounding the teaching of mathematics in the early grades, particularly in rural South African schools where indigenous languages like Xitsonga are used as the medium of instruction. This gap in research highlights the broader issue of the implications of language policy in South Africa for educational success, where the political nature of language use complicates effective teaching practices. The primary objective of this study is to contribute to the ongoing discourse on the role of home languages in mathematics teaching, specifically focusing on how the use of Xitsonga during lessons on patterns in early-grade classrooms limits the effectiveness of teachers’ instruction on the concepts. The theoretical grounding of this research is rooted in the understanding that language is not merely a tool for communication but is intricately linked to identity and learning. Within an interpretive paradigm, the data collection process for this qualitative study involved three main components: unstructured non-participatory classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and video-stimulated recall interviews. In this paper, we focus solely on the data from classroom observations to illustrate the dynamics of using the Xitsonga language to teach patterns in rural Foundation Phase classrooms. The sample consisted of 33 teachers from three different school sites in Acornhoek. The findings reveal the complexities involved in using Xitsonga to teach mathematical concepts. Teachers faced challenges related to language proficiency, pedagogical strategies, and the integration of local cultural contexts into their teaching practices.