An ethnomathematical study of Tchadji: about a Mancala type boardgame played in Mozambique and possibilities for its use in mathematics education

[摘要] This research is in the field of ethnomathematics. The study was carried out in threephases with the Tchadji-game being its principal focus. Tchadji is a traditional gameplayed at Ilha de MOyambique, a small Island situated on the northeast coast ofMozambique. Tchadji belongs to a class of board games known as Mancala, which arethousands of years old and are played throughout the African continent as well as in otherparts of the world. Mancala games have only recently received due attention as a topicfor research.The first phase of the research was carried out in the school mathematics classroom. Theoutcomes of this phase indicated that games like Tchadji and the three stones (a variant ofthe Muravarava game) as a part of Mozambican culture are also rich in providingopportunities for activities in the mathematics classroom related to the development ofkey probabilistic concepts. Quasi-experimental research involving the researcher, 4mathematics teachers and 162 students showed statistically significant positive effects onattitude towards the learning of, and performance in probability. These outcomes werecorroborated by qualitative research.The second phase of this study consisted of ethnographic research amongst masterTchadji players, which explored the mathematical ideas embedded in the Tchadji-gameand in the procedures for playing the game. The results of this phase of the researchrevealed that, the Tchadji-players had mathematical knowledge, skills and ways ofthinking such as counting, logical thinking, calculation, visualisation, recognition ofdifferent numerical patterns and infinity. These results are described in terms of examplestaken from different critical moments of the recorded matches of Tchadji. This way ofiiiAbstract (PhD thesis)presenting the results gives insight into the complexity of the methodology used. It alsouncovers different aspects of playing Tchadji, like rules, strategies and tactics. A need forfurther investigations of this nature for uncovering mathematical ideas in traditionalculture is also indicated by this research.As advocated in ethnomathematical research an intervention with (pre and in-service)student teachers formed the third phase of the research. The results of this phase indicatedthat the 24 teachers, who participated in the research, showed enthusiasm, satisfactionand excitement in experiencing the mathematical richness of Tchadji and in appreciatingpossibilities for the use of Tchadji in the mathematics classroom. They were able toanalyse the game independently and to identify embedded mathematical ideas in thegame, like logical thinking, counting and empirical and mental calculation.The research makes contributions to the field of ethnomathematics itself, to ethnographicresearch methodology and to the pedagogy of mathematics.

[发布机构] University of the Witwatersrand