Higher Education for Mathematicsa and Mathematics Education: Research and Teachingb

The Role of Mathematics Teacher Education in Overcoming Narrow Neocolonial Views of Mathematics

“…There are a couple of available bibliographies of education covering colonial times until the mid-1970s [3,4] but these do not focus on mathematics or mathematics education during this period nor from the time before European contact. Despite ongoing research within the country, there has been little on mathematics education per se after the mid-1980s when the Mathematics Education Centre declined [5]. Two exceptions in the 1990s were the doctoral studies of Kaleva [6] and Kari [7] which led to research through the Glen Lean Ethnomathematics Centre from 2000 to 2016 [8,9].…”

“…This historical research involved the extensive use of first contact and later documents and memoirs; archaeological and linguistic research from diverse areas and language groups; oral histories; lived experiences; field visits to villages; large research studies on number systems [10], measurement practices [11,12], and mathematical words in different cultures across the country; research studies on mathematics education [5] and teacher education [13,14]; government documents, especially major reports [15][16][17] and plans recommending changes [18][19][20][21][22] to education; syllabuses; and studies on the language of instruction [23][24][25].…”

“…Importantly, this impacted the local economy as quantities of kina shell money were imported to pay the workers from the areas and encouraged people to travel to other people's land for work. Using pounds (made of paper like a 'leaf') and shillings was suitable to the digit tally (5,20) cycle counting systems of many. These terms and translations for this 'money' continue to today (field visit to Malalamai, 2006) [75].…”

“…There were graduates by self-government in 1973 which preceded Independence in 1975. Research into education, particularly mathematics education, was strong and began influencing worldwide research [5,83]. Teacher educators and senior high school teachers were mainly from overseas but, for a decade, PNG teacher educators were trained as a group for two years in Australia [13].…”

“…Missions or churches dominated education training and still do today; all but one of the primary teachers' colleges are run by churches ( [13], see Appendix of 27) with the Institute of Education mostly concerned with early childhood education. The University of Goroka also provides Certificates and Degrees in Early Childhood Education and degrees (including Masters) in education for all sectors [5].…”