7.5 Reflections and recommendations
7.5.3 Recommendations
This study demonstrates the existence of four different mathematical identities in a single mathematics classroom in Tanzania and points to the variation in stu- dents’ previous Mathematical experiencing and previously constructed identities as the reason for the variation. The multiplicity of mathematical identities in a classroom may be a phenomenon in classrooms where students vary greatly in their mathematical backgrounds as well as economic and educational status of their parents. Thus, a research approach that allows an investigation of a larger number of classrooms and schools whose students have mathematical back- grounds similar to those in this study is suggested. Second, this study underlines the roles of parents and teachers in the development of children’s positive mathematical identity, but it focused on students who were already in secondary school. A future study could take an alternative research approach (e.g., a longi- tudinal design) to analysing these important roles in children’s Mathematical experiencing. Interview and observation data on parent-child interactions related to learning mathematics at home could produce additional insights into the na- ture of childhood Mathematical experiencing and its impact on the development of students’ mathematical self-perceptions. Such data could answer, for exam- ple, the question of whether active parental involvement in children’s Mathe- matical experiencing necessarily leads to the development of children’s positive mathematical identity. Furthermore, this study suggests a decrease in mathemat- ics test scores for students with Image-maintenance identity in secondary school. Specialising in Arts and spending more time in these subjects seem to be the
reason. I doubt whether Image-maintenance identity always accompanies a de- crease in test scores at the time of subject specialisation. Investigations of sev- eral mathematics classes that are similar to the one studied for this thesis and have students with Image-maintenance identity could shed more light on this relationship. Finally, justification as a form of identity endorsement strongly characterised students’ expressions of their mathematical identity. It also seemed to play a role in upholding their identities. Further research seeking to establish the role of identity endorsement in mathematical identity development may fur- ther broaden the conceptualisation of mathematical identity.
Improving mathematics learning in Tanzania
This study has demonstrated that Mathematical experiencing is essential for the development of students’ mathematical identities and that in turn, mathematical identities have motivational features that can foster the continuation of Mathe- matical experiencing. For schools in Tanzania to improve mathematics learning, students’ positive mathematical identities need to be developed through appro- priate Mathematical experiencing. For example, application of teaching methods that enable students to develop basic mathematical skills and their encourage- ment in developing agency and exercising it with support from their teachers could foster such experiencing. But for Mathematical experiencing to be effec- tive enough to result in positive mathematical identities in Tanzanian schools, a number of problems need to be addressed. The much talked about problems in Tanzania are those that impede general learning in schools. They relate, for ex- ample, to insufficiently developed school infrastructures, lack of trained teach- ers, shortage of teaching and learning materials, and the unpopularity of mathe- matics among students and teachers (Kisakali & Kuznetsov, 2015). These also impede Mathematical experiencing and the development of students’ mathe- matical identity. Moreover, this thesis adds several fundamental problems to this list and discusses how they could be addressed.
First, mathematics learning in Tanzanian schools is impeded by a language policy that requires students to learn mathematics (and other subjects) in Swahili in primary school and in English in secondary school. Many students do not gain sufficient English language skills in primary school (Telli, 2014; Uwezo, 2010, 2011).Consequently, they experience difficulties in understanding mathematical concepts written or expressed in English in secondary school. This problem was evident also among the students in this study. It can be solved by allowing stu- dents to learn mathematics in the same language in primary and secondary school.
Second, parental involvement in children’s mathematics learning in Tanzania is low, meaning that most children do not have opportunities to learn basic arithmetic and language skills before they begin school (Center for Economic
learning is vital in Tanzania. As shown in this study, for students with Innate ability identity, this early parental involvement enables children to develop basic mathematical skills and positive mathematical identity, making it thus possible for children to learn primary school mathematics more easily. Primary schools are overwhelmed by Contextual factors such as overcrowded classes and an inadequate number of teachers and thus lack the capacity to develop basic mathematical skills and positive mathematical identities for all pupils in the schools. Publicity campaigns constitute the most practical way of sustainably engaging parents in the development of their children’s basic mathematical skills and positive mathematical identities before school. The government of Tanzania has applied a publicity campaigns strategy involving the use of mass media to deal successfully with the spread of HIV-AIDS and malaria. The same strategy can be used for engaging parents to develop their children’s basic mathematical skills before they begin school. These campaigns should go hand in hand with improving the available nursery schools and building more such schools to give a chance for all children to attend them. In these schools, basic arithmetic and language skills need to be given more emphasis along with play that mostly in- volves basic mathematics (LeFevre et al., 2010).
Finally, the students who participated in this study perceived the value of mathematics in terms of its application to science, not its use for their personal day-to-day lives. As a result, the students perceived mathematics as important to those who studied science and needed it to help them learn science easily. This perception impeded mathematical participation among students who did not study science. The perception could be pervasive in other secondary schools in Tanzania. The solution to this problem is to link mathematics content with the cultural environment familiar to the students. This can be done at the curriculum and pedagogical levels. The teaching of mathematics should help students solve problems that are familiar to them thereby enabling them to notice the relevance of mathematical skills to their lives. The resulting positive perceptions of the value of mathematics to the students can motivate them to increase their partici- pation in mathematics learning and develop a positive mathematical identity.
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