Decolonising and Enriching the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics through the use of Ndebele Mural Art and Indigenous Knowledge Systems

• In Event: Indigenous Peoples, Epistemologies And Praxis In Education

Abstract

This paper reports on a study that was conducted to explore ethnomathematical approaches in the teaching and learning of Grade 6 geometry. Women Knowledge Holders’ expertise as custodians of Ndebele mural art were explored, uncovering their intuitive mathematical knowledge and its application in mural art. The Ndebele mural art, a traditional art form of the Ndebele people, has a solid connection to mathematics. Ndebele murals often exhibit symmetry, where patterns are reflected and repeated. In this paper we discuss the relationship between Ndebele Mural Art and Indigenous Knowledge that is exhibited in communities in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa and how such knowledge may be used to enhance the teaching and learning of Geometry.

Authors

• Mogege David Mosimege, University of the Free State

• Mapula Poo, University of the Free State