Mathematical concepts of the traditional building of the Limpopo Province that can be use to teach high school mathematics

Abstract

There are several factors in our environment such as cultural artefacts, murals, our tradition, buildings and language that can be used to teach mathematics in context or used as examples to the learners but which we are unaware of or which we do not consider as appropriate. People interact with the world and attempt to comprehend, interpret, and explain it using numbers, logic and spatial configuration which are culturally shaped. These are the ways in which we produce mathematical knowledge. This has helped to stimulate other mathematicians on the African continent to Africanise mathematics teaching. Mathematics is viewed as a human activity as all people of the world practice some form of mathematics. In teaching mathematics meaningfully and relevantly, the teacher, the learner, their experiences, and their cultural backgrounds become extremely important factors to create conducive learning environments. This study was set out to explore the mathematical concepts of the traditional buildings of the Limpopo Province, South Africa and the teaching of high school mathematics. The rationale for the study was to explore the extent to which mathematical shapes or concepts of the traditional buildings of the Limpopo Province could be used to enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics in context. The research questions that guided the exploration were: 1. Which ma1thematical concepts embedded in the traditional buildings of the Limpopo Province can be used to teach high school mathematics? 2. What challenges do high school mathematics educators face in contextualising their teaching? 3. Which suggestions can be made to assist mathema1tics educators to contextualise their teaching? The population for the study was made up of the builders of the circular houses from the Vhembe (Tshivenda), Mopani (Xitsonga) and Sekhukhune (Sepedi) people of the Limpopo Province and Grade 12 mathematics teachers of the Limpopo Province. The total population was 255, (68 circular houses builders and 187 Gradle 12 mathematics teachers.) The three districts were chosen because they are classified as iargely rural as compared to other districts in the Limpopo Province. They also have many indigenous buildings which were used to collect data for this study. The data were gathered through observations, interviews with the builders and questionnaire 1for the educators. For analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, narrative, and inductive analysis were used to analyse the da1ta. Although the builders who participated in this study could not explain using the mathematical language how they constructed the buildings, various mathematical concepts and symbols such as triangles, squares, parallelog1rams, kites, circles, rhombi, rectangles, trapeziums, translations, reflections, rotations, similarities, congruency, tessellations were discovered. These mathematical concepts can be used by both Educators and learners to enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics. Further evidence emerged that teaching mathematics with meaning and relating it to the real world makes mathematics more relevant and meaningful. It was suggested that teacher training courses and programmes should include also courses on culture, society, the relationship between mathematics and culture, and the history of evolution of mathematical concepts. Contextualised learning activities shoulcd be designed to encourage learning mathematics concepts for understanding. In-service courses at Colleges of Education and Universities should include the application of ethnomathematics and indigenous knowledge systems in their teacher training programmes.