Theoretical Basis Culture provides a means for students to develop conceptual understanding in mathematics. According to Rogoff (2003), “Human development is a cultural process. As a biological species, humans are defined in terms of our cultural participation” (p. 3). The students’ culture has been identified as one of the factors that influence mathematics learning, and that individuals of different cultural groups have different worldviews that are a product of centuries, which will not disappear rapidly because they are far more fundamental than differences among political ideologies (Sharma & Orey, 2017). Hence Sharma and Oray citing Rosa (2010) indicated that culture may have a pervading influence on how a group of people live and learn.
Mathematics is an inherent knowledge in the activities of life, where every activity is inseparable from mathematical activity (Presmeg, 2007; Nurhasanah, Kusumah, & Sabandar, 2017). Muhtadi, Sukirwan, Warsito and Prahmana (2017) recognise that mathematics is a form of culture integrated into all aspects of society, wherever we are there is mathematics. This study intends to investigate inherent mathematics in socio-cultural artefact “Oware” in Ghana. Many writers
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Hence, Hofstede, as cited in Sharma and Oray (2017) argues that culture influences mathematics through its manifestations such as cultural traits, geometric shapes, values, artefacts, and symbols. This means having students discover the mathematics in their own cultures is a real way to bring life to mathematics and give students the chance to see the significance of mathematics. Teaching mathematics through culture is an awareness that integrates the prior knowledge of students in a way that builds upon what they already know and thus enhancing mathematical
... to make them clear and emphasize their importance. Collective efficacy and cultural heterogeneity are present in our communities each day and have shaped who we have become and our cultural choices to get to university and such theories continue to mold young minds everyday.
Cultural differences pose several barriers for students and may impair their opportunity to learn. These barriers are created by differences in language expression, communication style, preferred learning style, gender-role customs and behaviors, and limited parental involvement due to these cultural or socioeconomic barriers (Ralabate, & Klotz, 2007).
In chapter seven of Outliers, “The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes,” Gladwell entertains the theory of the negative effects of culture on success by using an account of the 1997 Korean Air flight 801 to Guam. The flight was piloted by an experienced captain who was familiar with the route. Ultimately, the plane crashed into a mountain killing 228 of the 254 passengers (Gladwell 179). The crash could have been avoided if only the cultural legacy of hierarchical communication patterns between the pilot and cockpit staff were ignored. Gladwell later explains how cultural legacies can have a positive impact on success. In the subject of mathematics, Asians may have a built-in advantage due to the cultural difference in their number system when compared to the number system of the West, which may result in Asian children being able to count at a younger age than other cultures (Gladwell
... argues that even though our mission is to understand the culture we our studying one cannot make final assumptions about a culture. One has to reflex on the fact that a culture is always changing and that our preparation of our discipline is not often the method one uses in fieldwork.
“But That’s Just Good Teaching!” is about the Case for Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. Ladson-Billings advocates for schooling and culture being intertwined. This article is mainly focused on teachers’ ability to meet the students where they are in their life. She says that educators should insert themselves into their students’ culture rather than inserting culture into education. It is believed that when a student’s home language is incorporated in what they are learning in the classroom, they are more likely to achieve academic success.
This comparative case study will be discussing and analyzing the two countries of Japan and the United States. The main topic of this research study will be based on the question, ‘What is the mathematics curriculum in each country?’
Mathematics education has undergone many changes over the last several years. Some of these changes include the key concepts all students must master and how they are taught. According to Jacob Vigdor, the concerns about students’ math achievements have always been apparent. A few reasons that are negatively impacting the productivity of students’ math achievements are historical events that influenced mathematics, how math is being taught, and differentiation of curriculum.
“Cultural competence is a key factor in enabling educators to be effective with students from cultures other than their own. It is having an awareness of one’s own cultural identity and views about difference, and the ability to learn and build on the varying cultural and community norms of students and their families. It is the ability to understand the within-group differences that make each student unique, while celebrating the between-group variations that make our country a tapestry (National Education Association, 2015).”
...ett, S. (2008) . Young children’s access to powerful mathematical ideas, in English, Lyn D (ed), Handbook of international research in mathematics education, 2nd edn, New York, NY: Routledge, pp. 75-108.
The foundations of mathematics are strongly rooted in the history and way of life of the Egyptian people, dating back to the fourth millennium B.C. in Egypt. Egyptian mathematics was elementary. It was generally arrived at by trial and error as a way to obtain desired results. As such, early Egyptian mathematics were primarily arithmetic, with an emphasis on measurement, surveying, and calculation in geometry. The development of arithmetic and geometry grew out of the need to develop land and agriculture and engage in business and trade. Over time, historians have discovered records of such transactions in the form of Egyptian carvings known as hieroglyphs.
The history of mathematics has its roots on the African continent. The oldest mathematical object was found in Swaziland Africa. The oldest example of arithmetic was found in Zaire. The 4000 year old, Moscow papyrus, contains geometry, from the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt was the cradle of mathematics. The great Greek mathematicians, including Pythagoras, Thales, and Exodus all acquired much of their mathematics from Egypt, including the notion of zero. This paper will discuss a brief history of mathematics in Africa. Starting with the Lebombo bone and the Ishango Bone, I will then present Egyptian mathematics and end with a discourse on Muslim mathematics in African. “Most histories of mathematics devote only a few pages to Africa and Ancient Egypt... Generally they ignore the history of mathematics in Africa … and give the impression that this history either did not exist or, at least …is not knowable.”
As a secondary subject, society often views mathematics a critical subject for students to learn in order to be successful. Often times, mathematics serves as a gatekeeper for higher learning and certain specific careers. Since the times of Plato, “mathematics was virtually the first thing everyone has to learn…common to all arts, science, and forms of thought” (Stinson, 2004). Plato argued that all students should learn arithmetic; the advanced mathematics was reserved for those that would serve as the “philosopher guardians” of the city (Stinson, 2004). By the 1900s in the United States, mathematics found itself as a cornerstone of curriculum for students. National reports throughout the 20th Century solidified the importance of mathematics in the success of our nation and its students (Stinson, 2004). As a mathematics teacher, my role to educate all students in mathematics is an important one. My personal philosophy of mathematics education – including the optimal learning environment and best practices teaching strategies – motivates my teaching strategies in my personal classroom.
“Culture consists of values, traditions, worldview, and social and political relationships created, shared, and transformed by a group of people bound together by a common history, geographic location, language, social class, religion, or other shared identity” (Nieto & Bode, 2008). Now that we have identified the characteristics of culture in the definition provided above, we can discuss the upbringing of the student I chose for my observation. For this observation, I chose a third grade male student named Israel Oketunmbi. I gathered most of the information about...
Still others were based on metalinguistic communication meaning that every culture has its own rules regarding acceptable and unacceptable behavior. This phenomenon is evident in every multicultural classroom and greatly affects instructional outcomes. While mathematics is considered a subject with a universal language embracing numbers and logic, students have to produce this ability based on a tongue in which they can articulate fluently (Winsor, 2007).
Allowing children to learn mathematics through all facets of development – physical, intellectual, emotional and social - will maximize their exposure to mathematical concepts and problem solving. Additionally, mathematics needs to be integrated into the entire curriculum in a coherent manner that takes into account the relationships and sequences of major mathematical ideas. The curriculum should be developmentally appropriate to the