You are on page 1of 3

FOLK MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS FOR

MATHEMATICS TEACHING METHODOLOGY

N. C. GHOSH
Department of Mathematics
Rabindra Bharati University
56A B.T. ROAD
Kolkata – 50

ABSTRACT

Mathematics is a human social activity – a common project and mathematics of people’s


life termed as i. Indigenous Mathematics, ii. Socio-mathematics, iii. Informal
Mathematics, iv. Mathematics in the socio-cultural Environment, v. Spontaneous
Mathematics, vi. Oral Mathematics, vii. Oppressed Mathematics, viii. Non-standard
Mathematics, ix. Hidden or Frozen Mathematics, x. Mathematics codtified in know-
hows, xi. Anthropological Mathematics, xii. Sociology of Mathematics, xiii. Self-
generated Mathematics, xiv. Practical Mathematics. More general way here author has
termed them Folk-Mathematics. Considering various aspects of the society one can build
a nice Schematic Model of the development of self-generated mathematics, are been
called Folk-Mathematics. In the November 1976 issue of The Math Learning Center
Report the term ‘Folk Mathematics’ was first appeared. The report was published and
distributed with the support of a National Science Foundation Dissemination grant. It was
reprinted in the February 1977 issue of Instructor magazine and in the December 1980
issue of Mathematics. Since then the term Folk Mathematics has drawn attraction of
Educators, researchers and social scientists. To develop mathematics teaching
methodology folk mathematical ideas, particularly way of transmission of mathematical
concepts among the folk people are drawing attraction. In this article author has
elaborated the idea of folk mathematics in Asian context and discussed some basic points
useful for developing mathematics teaching methodology.

References

1. Allison Corey & Paul Fishwick (2007) : An Approach to Improving Informal Mathematics

Education Through Aesthetic Computing and


Dance-Based representation Journal of
Undergraduate Research.Vol.9, No.2
2. Ascher, Marcia (1991) : Ethnomathematics : A Multicultural View of
of Mathematical Ideas. Chapman & Hall, Belmot,
California.
3. Ascher, Marcia (1992) : Before the Conquest. Math. Mag. 65, No.4
4. Aschbacher, Michael (2004) : The Status of the Classification of the Finite Simple
Groups, Notices of the American Mathematical
Society, August
5. Begg, A. (2001) : Ethnomathematics : Why and What Else ? - In
Zentralblatt fur Didaktik der Mathematik. Vol. 33.
No. 3.
6. Berczi, Sz. (2000) : Katachi U Symmetry in the Ornamental Art of the
Thousands Years of Eurasi. FORMA 15/1 Tokyo.
7. Bishop, A.J. (1988) : Mathematical Enculturation : a Cultural Perspective
on Mathematics Education. Dordrecht:Kluwer,Holland.
8. Crowe, Donald W (1973) : Geometric Symmetries of African Art Section. Vol. 5,
Part II, Zaslavsky.
9. Daniel C. Orey (1998) : In My Opinion:Mathematics for the 21st Century of
Teacher Teaching Children Math. National Council of
Math.
10. D’Ambrosio, U. (1985) : History of Mathematics and Ethnomathematics.
(How a Native Culture Intervens in the Process of
Learning Sciences). Impact of Science on Society.
No. 160.
11. D’Ambrosio, U. (1997) : Ethnomathematics and its Place in the History and
Pedagogy
of Mathematics. Ethnomathematics :
Challenging Eurocentrism in Mathematics Education.
State University of New York Press. N.Y.
12. D’Ambrosio, U. (2001) : General Remarks on Ethnomathematics- In Zentralblatt
fur Didaktik der Mathematik. Vol. 33, No.3.
13.Englash, R. et al (2006) : Culturally Situated Design Tools : Ethnocomputing
from Field Site to Classroom. American
Anthropologist Vol. 108, No. 2.
14. Fishwick, Paul A. (2006), Ed. : Aesthetic Computing, MIT Press.
15. Folk Art Center (2004) : Carolina Mountain Woodturners. American
Association of Woodturners. NC.
16. Gerdes, P. (!986) : How to Recognise Hidden Geometrical Thinking: a
Contribution to the Development of Anthropological
Mathematics. For Learning Mathematics, Vol. 6, No.
2.
17. Ghosh, N. C. : Basic Points for Studying Mathematical Concepts in
the Indigenous Society. J. Center for Pedagogical
Studies in Mathematics. No. 6
18. Ghosh, N. C. (1998) : NCERT Project on Development of Teaching
Methodology in Mathematics Based on Identification
of Mathematical Concepts from Indigenous Society.
19. Ghosh, N.C. (2008) : Folk Mathematics Study. Lokdarpan – a Journal of
Kalayani University.
20. Ghosh, N. C. (2009) : Lokaganit. Rabindra Bharati Patrika. (New) Vol. XII
21. Knijnik, Gelsa (1998) : Ethnomathematics & Political
Struggles.In:Zentralblatt fur Didaktik der
Mathematik. Vol. 30, No. 6.
22. Knijnik, Gelsa et al (2005) : Cultural Differences, Oral Mathematics and Calculators
in a Teacher Training Course of the Brazilian
Landless Movement. Zentralblatt fur Didaktik der
Mathematik Vol. 37, No. 2.
23. Maier, Eugene A. (1976) : Folk Math. Gene's Corner and Other Nooks &
Crannies: Perspectives on Math Education. Salem,
OR: The Math Learning Center.
24. Marilyn Frankenstein, Arther B.
Powell, A.B. (2007) : Ethnomathematics : Challenging Eurocentrism in
Mathematics Education. J. of Folklore Society.
25. Merk Sfirri (2004) : Spontaneous Mathematics. News Letter of Carolina
Mountain Woodturners. Vol. 5, No. 2
26. Presmeg, N.(1998) : A Semiotic Analysis of Students own Cultural
Mathematics. –
In : Olivier, A. ; Newstead, K. (Ed.) Proceedings of the
22nd Conf. Of the International Group for the Psychology
of Mathematics Education. Vol. 1, Stellenbosch
University,
South Africa.
27. Tine Wedege (2003) : Soiomathematics :People and Mathematics in Society.
Adults Learning. Mathematics. News - letter. No. 20.
28. Tracy Hammond (2000) : Ethnomathematics : Concept Definition and Research
Perspectives, A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate
Faculty in Anthropology, Columbia University, NY.
29. Zaslavsky, Claudia (1999) : Africa Counts:Numbers and Pattern in African Culture.
(3rd Ed.) Lawrence Hill Books, Chicago.

You might also like