Relative difficulty of early grade compare type word problems: Learning from the case of isiXhosa

Abstract

to English, such isiXhosa, one of South Africa's nine official African languages.This study contributes to the limited research on early grade word problems in languages other than English by examining compare type word problems in isiXhosa. The study offers a sub-typology for compare type (difference unknown) problems, both in English and in isiXhosa. The relative difficulty of the problems in the isiXhosa sub-typology is then empirically tested using data collected from an adapted early grade mathematics assessment (EGMA).The following two research questions are answered in this study:• Are certain types of isiXhosa compare type problem easier for learners to solve than others? • If so, is the relative difficulty influenced by:ß the formulation of the comparative question ß the problem situation? Theoretical and methodological perspectivesThis article is informed by theoretical perspectives and methodological tools from linguistics that have proved helpful for research into the way different languages express mathematical concepts, as proposed in a recent paper by Edmonds-Wathen (2019). This article also draws on theoretical perspectives from variation theory, a general theory of learning largely developed by Marton and Booth (1997) and later extended by Watson and Mason (2005) in relation to mathematics learning.Edmonds-Wathen (2019) proposes using a typological framing for research on the diversity of mathematical expression in different languages and using interlinear morphemic glossing to present examples in different languages. These perspectives and methodologies are particularly pertinent for studies done by a researcher not fluent in the language that is being studied. Edmonds-Wathen points out that linguists often work with languages that they are unfamiliar with, either by working with translated texts or by working closely with bilingual speakers. She argues that mathematics education researchers can, and do, work in similar ways, with this study being a case in point. This study was undertaken by an English speaker with an emergent understanding of isiXhosa. The researcher worked very closely with a number of isiXhosa speakers to deepen her understanding of isiXhosa, particularly in relation to compare type problems.

Language and multilingualism in the teaching and learning of mathematics in South Africa: A review of literature in Pythagoras from 1994 to 2021

“…Among the papers analysed in this review, only one paper (Mostert, 2020) considers lower primary. All the other papers on primary school are based in higher grades.…”

“…It additionally became apparent that, socially, isiZulu instruction was seen as of a lower status than English instruction, although the course content was identical. Lastly, Mostert (2020) investigates isiXhosa word problems in Grade 1-3 classrooms. She examines the relative difficulty of different compare-type problems in isiXhosa and how the isiXhosa wording can affect how students experience the problem's level of difficulty.…”