- Title
- Re-imagining the use of the abacus as a visualization tool to develop number sense in Grade 3 learners
- Creator
- Elifas, Taimi Ndinelago
- ThesisAdvisor
- Chikiwa, Clemence
- ThesisAdvisor
- Schäfer, Marc
- Subject
- Abacus
- Subject
- Mathematics Study and teaching (Elementary) Namibia
- Subject
- Visual learning
- Subject
- Teaching Aids and devices
- Subject
- Constructivism (Education)
- Subject
- Effective teaching Namibia
- Date
- 2021-10-29
- Type
- Master's theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191953
- Identifier
- vital:45182
- Description
- The poor performance of learners in mathematics has long been a matter of concern in Namibia. After more than three decades after independence, the country's education system is still seeking ways of addressing the high rate of poor performance in mathematics. Research previously conducted pointed out the lack of number sense in learners, as one of the contributing factors to the poor performance in mathematics. This research study is a contribution towards using the abacus as a visualization tool to develop number sense in the Foundation Phase. The study was premised on the thought – supported by literature – that effective use of concrete equipment and manipulatives, of which the abacus is part of, does affect the teaching and learning of number sense. The study further examines the use of the abacus as a visualization tool to develop number sense by the four selected Grade 3 teachers. The study argues that the effective use of the abacus develops number sense in learners. This study was framed as a multiple case study that was grounded within an interpretive paradigm and informed by the constructivist learning theory. The qualitative data of this study were collected using questionnaires, observation, reflective journals, and semi-structured interviews. The data were then analyzed using thematic analysis and an analytical tool developed from relevant literature. A survey was conducted using 50 Foundation Phase teachers in the //Kharas region, while the intervention programme consisted of four purposively selected teachers from the four primary schools in the Kalahari circuit in the Keetmanshoop district. The findings of this study revealed that the majority of teachers were not aware of abacus use in teaching mathematics before the intervention programme. It was also revealed that the few teachers that use the abacus as a visualization tool to develop number sense, employ it as a counting tool for explaining certain concepts and as well as for teaching simple arithmetic. In this research study, the selected teachers use the abacus to link the abstract mathematics content to a concrete way of doing mathematics. In the absence of the abacus in classrooms, various manipulatives are used to develop learners’ number sense. Mathematical games, verbalizing mathematics concepts, and drawing pictures to visualize abstract concepts among others are used by the selected teachers to enhance the development of number sense in the Foundation Phase. The use of the abacus by the selected teachers effectively fostered the visualization process and the conceptual understanding of number sense in learners. Through the abacus, teachers led their learners into visualizing number sense concepts such as subitizing, computing, performing mental mathematics and physical representation of numbers in different ways. The abacus was used by teachers to enhance listening skills, improve concentration and strengthen the memory of learners. On the other hand, the study also revealed that despite the various benefits of the abacus, it is time consuming. The lack of abacus use in previous grades has a huge impact on the use of it and the development of learners’ number sense in the grades being studied in this research study. Teachers are recommended to make their own abacuses, encourage learners to make their own abacuses from the readily available materials, and to allow the learners to realize that the mathematics they are doing in classrooms is around them. The use of re-imagining, re-envisioning, re-conceptualizing and re-examining of so-called ‘old teaching tools’ such as the abacus, needs to be encouraged through in-service and pre-service teacher training programmes. The study concludes that the use of traditional algorithm methods do not promote conceptual understanding and visual strategies for Foundation Phase learners and should be discouraged. It is hoped that this study will contribute towards improving the practices of mathematics teachers primarily in the Keetmanshoop district, //Kharas Region and in the rest our Namibian schools.
- Description
- Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Format
- computer, online resource, application/pdf, 1 online resource (175 pages), pdf
- Publisher
- Rhodes University, Faculty of Education, Education
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Elifas, Taimi Ndinelago
- Rights
- Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
- Rights
- Open Access
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details | SOURCE1 | ELISFAS-MED-TR21-276.pdf | 3 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details |