The Impact of an Ethnomathematics Intervention on Sixth Graders’ Perceptions about the Nature of Mathematics

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of teaching an ethnomathematical unit about areas and perimeters on sixth graders’ perceptions about the nature of mathematics in a private school in Kuwait. The focus of the study was on students’ perceptions about the nature of mathematics in ter...

وصف كامل

محفوظ في:
التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
المؤلف الرئيسي: Khanafer, Heba (author)
التنسيق: masterThesis
منشور في: 2023
الموضوعات:
الوصول للمادة أونلاين:http://hdl.handle.net/10725/15801
https://doi.org/10.26756/th.2023.662
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/thesis.php
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author Khanafer, Heba
author_facet Khanafer, Heba
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Khanafer, Heba
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2023
2023-11-29
2024-06-26T08:51:49Z
2024-06-26T08:51:49Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10725/15801
https://doi.org/10.26756/th.2023.662
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/thesis.php
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv en
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Lebanese American University
dc.rights.*.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Lebanese American University--Dissertations
Dissertations, Academic
Students--Attitudes
Mathematics--Social aspects--Kuwait
Mathematics--Study and teaching--Kuwait--Case studies
Ethnomathematics--Kuwait
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The Impact of an Ethnomathematics Intervention on Sixth Graders’ Perceptions about the Nature of Mathematics
A Case Study in Kuwait
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Thesis
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
info:eu-repo/semantics/masterThesis
description The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of teaching an ethnomathematical unit about areas and perimeters on sixth graders’ perceptions about the nature of mathematics in a private school in Kuwait. The focus of the study was on students’ perceptions about the nature of mathematics in terms of its connectedness to culture and real life in addition to the role of mathematics education in promoting social and political values. Ethnomathematics, as defined by D’Ambrosio, is the mathematics practiced by different cultures; it reflects their practices, their ways of living, and their social values. In the past decades, more mathematics educators, researchers, and experts started to show interest in teaching ethnomathematics because of the dry, abstract, and boring mathematics instruction followed in most mathematics classrooms. Ethnomathematical interventions done in many classrooms showed positive results on students’ experience in learning mathematics whether on their motivation, achievement, or perceptions towards mathematics. This study employed a qualitative case study that drew upon classroom observations, interviews, and students’ activity sheets. Twenty-two grade six students participated in the study through random sampling. Twelve students were interviewed according to their achievement levels. Data from transcribed observations and interviews and data from activity sheets were analyzed through qualitative thematic analysis. Data from different sources were triangulated and compared to increase the reliability of the study results. Findings revealed that teaching an ethnomathematical geometry unit had a great impact on students’ perceptions towards the nature of mathematics. Eight essential themes were derived from data analysis which are the following: mathematics as culturally and historically produced; mathematics connected to real life; mathematics connected to values; mathematics connected to other subjects; eurocentrism and cultural superiority; students’ interest, motivation, and collaboration; students’ pride in their culture; and girls’ empowerment and gender stereotypes breakage. Although this study was limited to a specific groups of female sixth graders in a private school in Kuwait, the results raised new questions for future research. Few recommendations were provided for stakeholders, curriculum designers, and mathematics teachers.
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spelling The Impact of an Ethnomathematics Intervention on Sixth Graders’ Perceptions about the Nature of MathematicsA Case Study in KuwaitKhanafer, HebaLebanese American University--DissertationsDissertations, AcademicStudents--AttitudesMathematics--Social aspects--KuwaitMathematics--Study and teaching--Kuwait--Case studiesEthnomathematics--KuwaitThe purpose of this study was to explore the impact of teaching an ethnomathematical unit about areas and perimeters on sixth graders’ perceptions about the nature of mathematics in a private school in Kuwait. The focus of the study was on students’ perceptions about the nature of mathematics in terms of its connectedness to culture and real life in addition to the role of mathematics education in promoting social and political values. Ethnomathematics, as defined by D’Ambrosio, is the mathematics practiced by different cultures; it reflects their practices, their ways of living, and their social values. In the past decades, more mathematics educators, researchers, and experts started to show interest in teaching ethnomathematics because of the dry, abstract, and boring mathematics instruction followed in most mathematics classrooms. Ethnomathematical interventions done in many classrooms showed positive results on students’ experience in learning mathematics whether on their motivation, achievement, or perceptions towards mathematics. This study employed a qualitative case study that drew upon classroom observations, interviews, and students’ activity sheets. Twenty-two grade six students participated in the study through random sampling. Twelve students were interviewed according to their achievement levels. Data from transcribed observations and interviews and data from activity sheets were analyzed through qualitative thematic analysis. Data from different sources were triangulated and compared to increase the reliability of the study results. Findings revealed that teaching an ethnomathematical geometry unit had a great impact on students’ perceptions towards the nature of mathematics. Eight essential themes were derived from data analysis which are the following: mathematics as culturally and historically produced; mathematics connected to real life; mathematics connected to values; mathematics connected to other subjects; eurocentrism and cultural superiority; students’ interest, motivation, and collaboration; students’ pride in their culture; and girls’ empowerment and gender stereotypes breakage. Although this study was limited to a specific groups of female sixth graders in a private school in Kuwait, the results raised new questions for future research. Few recommendations were provided for stakeholders, curriculum designers, and mathematics teachers.1 online resource (xi, 247 leaves) : ill. (some col.), ports.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-111).Lebanese American University2024-06-26T08:51:49Z2024-06-26T08:51:49Z20232023-11-29Thesisinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/masterThesishttp://hdl.handle.net/10725/15801https://doi.org/10.26756/th.2023.662http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/thesis.phpeninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:laur.lau.edu.lb:10725/158012024-06-26T08:51:49Z
spellingShingle The Impact of an Ethnomathematics Intervention on Sixth Graders’ Perceptions about the Nature of Mathematics
Khanafer, Heba
Lebanese American University--Dissertations
Dissertations, Academic
Students--Attitudes
Mathematics--Social aspects--Kuwait
Mathematics--Study and teaching--Kuwait--Case studies
Ethnomathematics--Kuwait
status_str publishedVersion
title The Impact of an Ethnomathematics Intervention on Sixth Graders’ Perceptions about the Nature of Mathematics
title_full The Impact of an Ethnomathematics Intervention on Sixth Graders’ Perceptions about the Nature of Mathematics
title_fullStr The Impact of an Ethnomathematics Intervention on Sixth Graders’ Perceptions about the Nature of Mathematics
title_full_unstemmed The Impact of an Ethnomathematics Intervention on Sixth Graders’ Perceptions about the Nature of Mathematics
title_short The Impact of an Ethnomathematics Intervention on Sixth Graders’ Perceptions about the Nature of Mathematics
title_sort The Impact of an Ethnomathematics Intervention on Sixth Graders’ Perceptions about the Nature of Mathematics
topic Lebanese American University--Dissertations
Dissertations, Academic
Students--Attitudes
Mathematics--Social aspects--Kuwait
Mathematics--Study and teaching--Kuwait--Case studies
Ethnomathematics--Kuwait
url http://hdl.handle.net/10725/15801
https://doi.org/10.26756/th.2023.662
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/thesis.php