Abstract

FOSTERING THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF MATHEMATICS IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS THROUGH ETHNO-MATHEMATICS IN ABIA STATE NIGERIA

NNENNA K. UKA (Ph.D) . DR SUSSAN IJEOMA EZEH

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This study tried to discuss Mathematics and its usefulness to society. It tried to look at Ethnomathematics is culture based and useful in teaching and learning mathematics at the junior secondary schools in Abia State. A survey research design was adopted for this study since the opinions of respondents were sought. The target population was all the mathematics teachers in the Public Secondary Schools in Abia State numbering 267. The sample for this study consists of 200 mathematics teachers who were randomly drawn from the population through a simple random sampling technique. A 20-item questionnaire tagged “Mathematics Teachers Questionnaire (MTQ) was used for the study. Three research questions were posed and answered. The instrument was validated by two experts, one in Measurement and Evaluation and the other in Mathematics Education. A four-point rating scale of very high extent(VHE), high extent(HE), low extent(LE) and very low extent(VLE) was used to answer research question 2 while Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree(D) and Strongly Disagree (SD) was used to answer research questions 1 . A total of 200 MTQ were administered to the respondents by the researchers and the same were collected. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The findings indicated that there are many ways Ethnomathematics can be used in the teaching and learning of mathematics, some of which are the use of body parts, cultural games, dances and farming. Ethnomathematics is really needed in the teaching of mathematics because it influences the teaching and learning of mathematics to a high extent and fosters the learning of mathematics. It was recommended that ethnomathematics should be encouraged in schools as it fosters the teaching and learning of mathematics . Keywords; Ethnomathematics, Culture, fostering.teaching and learning, mathematic

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