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oai:repository.unam.edu.na:11070/42672026-06-27T22:00:57Zcom_11070_3502com_11070_3316com_11070_3306col_11070_122

February, Pamela Muswalali, Karen F. 2026-06-23T17:01:28Z 2026-06-23T17:01:28Z 2025 http://hdl.handle.net/11070/4267 A theses submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Masters of Education (Early Childhood Education and Care) The main purpose of this study was to explore the effect of an Ethnomathematics-based teaching approach on Grade 3 learners’ performance in numeracy concepts. The study was guided by the following research objectives: 1). To investigate the effects of the Ethnomathematics-based teaching approach on Grades 3 learners’ academic performance in numeracy concepts in a selected lower primary school in the Zambezi Region. 2. To establish the perceptions and challenges of Grade 3 teachers in using the Ethnomathematics-based teaching approach to teach numeracy concepts in selected lower primary schools in the Zambezi Region. Furthermore, the following null hypothesis was tested: H0: There is no significant difference between the performances of Grade 3 learners taught using the Ethnomathematics-based teaching approach and the lecture method respectively. The study employed the mixed-methods research design, in which a sample of 40 Grade 3 learners was selected using stratified random sampling from one Junior Primary school for the experiment. The 40 learners were divided into two groups: the Experimental group and the Control group, each made up of 20 participants. The Experimental group was taught using the Ethnomathematics-based teaching approach while the Control group was taught using the conventional lecture approach. Both groups were given common pre- and post-tests to assess their performances both before and after the treatment. In addition, 30 Grade 3 teachers were purposively selected to complete questionnaires while a subsample of 8 teachers participated in the follow-up one-on-one interview to share their perceptions and challenges of using the Ethnomathematics-based teaching approach. The findings of the study revealed that the Experimental group recorded approximate mean scores of 54% in the pre-test and 79% in the post-test while the Control group recorded 46% and 50% in the pre-and post-tests respectively. The result of the t-test analysis between paired sample means of the Control and Experimental i groups’ post-tests was statistically significant (p < 0.05). This suggests that the Ethnomathematics-based teaching approach improves the Grade 3 learners’ performance in numeracy concepts. The Grade 3 teachers’ perceptions of the Ethnomathematics-based teaching approach revealed that the majority of the participants have no knowledge of the Ethnomathematics-based teaching approach. However, the participants perceived that Mathematics can be related to culture. A few participants stated that they sometimes use the Ethnomathematics-based approach and that learners comprehend numeracy concepts better when they are linked to real-life situations. Finally, the study also revealed that the non inclusion of the Ethnomathematics-based approach in the Grade 3 Mathematics syllabus, lack of time, and lack of specialized training on the usage of Ethnomathematics-based approach constitute the major challenges that Grade 3 teachers face in incorporating Ethnomathematics based approach in the teaching of numeracy concepts in the study area. Nonetheless, considering that the Ethnomathematics-based teaching approach significantly improved Grade 3 learners’ performance in this study, it is important to carry out wider studies on the prospect of using this teaching approach to improve Grade 3 learners’ performance in numeracy concepts. Furthermore, the Ministry of Education, Acts and Culture should include an Ethnomathematics-based teaching approach in the Grade 3 Mathematics curriculum and capacitate the teachers to be able to incorporate it in teaching numeracy concepts en University of Namibia Ethnomathematics Teaching approach Grade 3 Numeracy concept Namibia University of Namibia The effect of Ethnomathematics-based teaching approach on Grade 3 learners’ performance in numeracy concepts: A case study in the Zambezi region, Namibia Thesisopen.access