The Socioeconomic Status Label Associated With Mathematics

Abstract

The socioeconomic status of learners has implications for research and the provision of mathematics education. Literature has shown that learners from a disadvantaged socioeconomic background begin their education with a gap. Hence, a lot of research advocates for quality early childhood stimulation, aiming to close such gaps. The South African government-commissioned reviews which discovered that the challenges faced by ECD provision are inequities and poor quality education in some schools. Furthermore, mathematics assessment studies' results point to poor foundational knowledge of learners, especially those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. However, little is known about the level of numeracy knowledge possessed by these learners before they enter the reception class. Interviews with 26 reception class learners conducted at the beginning of the year revealed that they demonstrate numeracy knowledge and skills that are above the curriculum expectations which shows a challenge to the kind of educator these learners are exposed to as they do not have formal teacher training.

Black Students’ Rich Mathematical Experiences: Mathematics Concepts and Xhosa Cultural Games for Reception Class

“…Ref. [24] states that this variable is a cruel unjust variable. Lack of resources for learning influences the quality of mathematics instruction negatively [25][26][27].…”

“…Refs. [24,32,33] have proven that young students have demonstrated that they have high capabilities in mathematics regardless of their socio-economic background, ethnicity and geographical origins. These researchers propose the use of students' capital/assets in nurturing mathematics knowledge.…”