Ethnomathematics
Ethnomathematics is an attempt to bring mathematics into the lives of all
students. It adds a global perspective to mathematics and highlights the
accomplishments of all people of all heritages.
Contents
Ethnomathematics Rationale in Manitoba
The demographics of Canada are rapidly changing with 4.1 million residents
having listed a language other than English or French as their mother tongue.
According to the census by Statistics Canada in 1991, this group made up
13 per cent of the population, up from 11.3 per cent in 1986. Nearly a
third of Canadians reported an ethnic background other than British or
French in June 1991, up from a quarter of the population in 1986. The three
fastest growing languages in Canada according to the census were: Chinese,
Spanish, and Punjabi--reflecting immigration from Hong Kong, Latin America,
Pakistan, and India. Manitoba was the most ethnically diverse of all the
provinces. Manitoba's largest non-official languages were German, Ukranian,
and Cree. In Winnipeg, the most prominent non-official languages were German,
Ukranian, and Tagalog as reported by Eoin Kenny in the Winnipeg Free Press,
February 24, 1993. The government is committed to the 1 per cent immigration
solution to continue immigration and this will mean a continued more diversified
population in Canada.
Rationale for Home Page
Ethnic minorities are now becoming the majority of the school-age population.
The American National Research Council's Everybody Counts in Alcoze
(1992) reports that white males will make up 15% of the net additions to
the labour force between 1985 and 2000. The other 85% will be made up of
women and people of colour. Multicultural education comprises a new, global
perspective on the history of mathematics, sciences, and engineering. People
studying the inclusion of an ethnomathematics perspective in the regular
classroom ask the question:
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Does the context of ethnic information increase mathematical learning by
increasing motivation through respect for minority contributions to mathematics?
These facts led Lesley Sisco to ask the question:
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How do I value my students interests and also connect them to ideas and
traditions growing out of centuries of mathematical exploration and invention?
The study by Lesley Sisco investigated the inclusion of an ethnomathematical
context in mathematics education in measurement, specifically perimeter
and area, at the Senior 1 level. It was a classroom-based study to be conducted
by mathematics teachers with:
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a control group of 24 students using traditional metric measurement
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an ethnomathematics group of 24 students using the measurement device,
the quahuitl, used by the Aztecs of South America.
Two of the lesson plans used in the study can be found in the Contents
section at the top of the page.
Claudia Zaslavsky (1991b) and Taylor et al (1991) are actively conducting
similar research in the United States. Zaslavsky (1991a) has published
a must-have text for teachers interested in pursuing this area in
the classroom. Zaslavsky (1991a) in her symbolic studies concludes that
the introduction of multicultural, interdisciplinary perspectives into
the mathematics curriculum, accomplishes the following:
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Students become aware of the role of mathematics in all societies. They
realize that mathematical practices arose out of people's real needs and
interests.
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Students learn to appreciate the contributions of cultures different from
their own, and to take pride in their own heritage.
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By linking the study of mathematics to history, language arts, fine arts,
and other subjects, all disciplines take on more meaning.
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The infusion into the curriculum of the cultural heritage of "minority"
students builds their self-esteem and encourages them to become more interested
in mathematics.
About the Author
Lesley Sisco is a High School teacher in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The study
talked about in these Home Pages was part of her Master in Education; the
Home Page is a result of course 81.529 with Dr. Denis Hlynka, Department
of Curriculum: Mathematics and Natural Sciences in the Faculty of Education,
University of Manitoba. Lesley also has a B.Ed. a Post Baccalaureate
Certificate in Education, a pre-Master's in Mathematics and Natural Sciences
and a Special Education Certificate. She has taught Senior 1 to Senior
4 Mathematics, English-As-A-Second-Language, English and Technical Education
over a period of 20 years. She is presently teaching at Pierre Radisson
Collegiate in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and would welcome comments and observations
on this area of interest.
Current Newsletters
Ethnomathematics is becoming widely recognized and has a newsletter published
twice yearly by the International Study Group on Ethnomathematics (ISGEm).
ISGEm was founded in 1985, by Ubiratan D'Ambrosio and U.S. mathematics
educators: Gloria Gilmer, Rick Scott and Gil Cuevas. In 1990, ISGEm became
an affiliate of the U. S. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).
For further information on ISGEm click
study group for the newsletter application.
History of Ethnomathematics
The roots of the field of ethnomathematics began with the research study
of Gay and Cole (1967) who investigated the mathematics of the Kpelle society
in Liberia. The purpose of the study was to find a way to build a bridge
that would help the Kpelle use their mathematical experiences to learn
the Western conceptualizations of mathematics.
A comprehensive review of the literature on
Ethnomathematics may be found at the highlighted site.
[forward] 
Judith Lesley Sisco, B.Ed., PBCE, M.Ed.
Classroom Teacher
Pierre Radisson Collegiate
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Please send mail
revised August, 1999