Methods in Ghanaian Primary Mathematics Textbooks and Teachers’ Classroom Practice

Mereku, Damian Kofi

doi:10.1080/14794800008520135

Cited by 9 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…As previously established by other researchers (Fletcher, 2005;Eshun-Famiyeh, 2005;Anamuah-Mensah & Mereku, 2005;Mereku, 2003) in spite of mathematics teachers desire to apply constructivist teaching and learning practices, most mathematics classrooms in Ghana are characterized by memorization rather than understanding. Ampadu (2012) recently argued that five years after the introduction of the new mathematics curriculum a movement towards a constructivist approach of teaching and learning is not evident in most mathematics classrooms.…”

Section: International Journal Of Research Studies In Education 113mentioning

confidence: 82%

“…The international level. To achieve this, the prime objective of the curriculum was to help students develop an interest in mathematics and be active participants in the teaching-learning process (Mereku, 2003). Under the 2001 curriculum students were encouraged to work co-operatively with other students and develop interest in mathematics.…”

Section: A Brief History Of Ghana's Junior High School Mathematics Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Ghana, the behaviorist and constructivist theoretical backgrounds have underpinned the restructuring of Ghanaian mathematics curriculum for the past four decades. An analysis of mathematics teaching and learning at the secondary level in Ghana before the introduction of the new curriculum in 2007 shows that classroom practices were characterized by behaviorist tradition of teaching and learning coupled with teacher-centered approaches of teaching (Mereku, 2003;Fletcher, 2005). The 2001 curriculum which was used until 2007 emphasized on the use of discovery teaching methods and other student-centered approaches.…”

Section: Differences Between the Old And The New Mathematics Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The 2001 curriculum which was used until 2007 emphasized on the use of discovery teaching methods and other student-centered approaches. However, only few teaching and learning activities that would encourage student-centered teaching were included in the curriculum (Mereku, 2003). The 1987 and the 2001 mathematics curriculum were designed with much emphasis on academic attainment of students with little or no emphasis on the utilitarian effect of mathematical concepts.…”

Section: Differences Between the Old And The New Mathematics Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

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The importance of theoretical underpinning for a school mathematics curriculum: The Ghanaian experience

Ampadu¹,

Adofo²

2014

IJRSE

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The teaching and learning methods used in mathematics classrooms are increasingly being questioned for their effectiveness. In view of this, the mathematics curriculum in Ghana like in most other countries has undergone a number of restructuring with the aim of improving the teaching and learning of the subject. This paper aims to discuss issues related to mathematics education in Ghana. The paper begins with a historical overview of the Ghanaian Junior High School (JHS) mathematics curriculum. It provides an analysis of the restructuring JHS curriculum under the two broad theoretical backgrounds in mathematics education: behaviourism and constructivism. Analysis of the JHS curriculum and other research work suggest that the role of the teacher in mathematics classroom goes beyond acting as a facilitator in the teaching and learning process and students still rely on the teacher as their main source of knowledge acquisition. The authors take the position that mathematics education at the JHS level and in Ghana as a whole must redefine its goals and theoretical background; where the teacher and the student play an active role in the teaching and learning process. In view of this, the authors propose the enactivist theory, which advocates for partnership between teachers and students in the classroom, as the new paradigm for teaching and learning that must be considered within the Ghanaian context.

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Section: International Journal Of Research Studies In Education 113mentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: A Brief History Of Ghana's Junior High School Mathematics Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Differences Between the Old And The New Mathematics Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Differences Between the Old And The New Mathematics Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The importance of theoretical underpinning for a school mathematics curriculum: The Ghanaian experience

Ampadu¹,

Adofo²

2014

IJRSE

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“…From our perspectives, most Ghanaian basic school teachers adopt the traditional, teacher-centred teaching methods as a cover up for their own lack of proficiency in the English language rather than their subject-matter knowledge. Mereku (2003)'s research demonstrates that 83% of Ghanaian primary school teachers surveyed admitted that they never gave meaningful answers to their students' questions in the mathematics classroom and about 79% of them used teaching methods that do not promote discussion. More recently, a majority of students in basic schools (junior secondary) reported that their mathematics teachers used teacher-centered strategies that promoted passivity on their part (Ampadu, 2012).…”

Section: Student Participation In Mathematics Classroom Discoursesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning Mathematics in English at Basic Schools in Ghana: A Benefit or Hindrance?

Fredua-Kwarteng¹,

Ahia²

2015

EUROPEAN J ED RES

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Facilitating effective mathematics learning and higher mathematics achievement have long been recognized as a key to the scientific and technological advancement of the African continent. While the central role that language proficiency plays in mathematics teaching and learning has received an overwhelming research attention in the literature over the past two decades, this is not the case among African policy-makers and political leaders. Drawing mainly from our professional experiences as mathematics educators and from the international research literature, our primary intent in this paper is to answer this question: How does the learning of mathematics in English at the basic school level help or hinder students' mathematical proficiency? To answer this question, the paper is organized as follows. The first part, the introduction, gives a brief overview of the language of learning and teaching in Africa. The second part describes the method and conceptual framework undergirding the research. In the third section, we have analyzed the effects of mathematics learning and teaching through English for basic students whose mother tongue is a Ghanaian language. The conclusion offers four recommendations for developing and improving the mathematics proficiency of students in basic schools.

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Learning Mathematics in English at Basic Schools

Fredua-Kwarteng¹,

Ahia²

2014

African Indigenous Knowledge and the Disciplines

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Methods in Ghanaian Primary Mathematics Textbooks and Teachers’ Classroom Practice

Cited by 9 publications

References 3 publications

The importance of theoretical underpinning for a school mathematics curriculum: The Ghanaian experience

The importance of theoretical underpinning for a school mathematics curriculum: The Ghanaian experience

Learning Mathematics in English at Basic Schools in Ghana: A Benefit or Hindrance?

Learning Mathematics in English at Basic Schools

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