Participants were asked to share their views on some of the benefits for incorporating the Akan culture into the teaching of geometry. The study finds that the Akan culture emphasize practicality, creativity and innovation. As a result, its integration into the mathematics curriculum by adopting their methodology and linking geometry lessons to the indigenous Akan culture will maximize conceptual understanding, ensure leaners are creative and be able to apply what they have learnt to solve real life problems. The thematic analysis from the interview data is summarised in table 1
The major theme identified was the benefits of linking the Akan culture to geometry as observed by participants. Five sub-themes were derived under this theme;
Learning as fun
Learning as way of life
Community as a learning environment
Culture as dynamic
Economic development
Respondents were asked to enumerate some of the benefits of linking Akan culture to the teaching and learning of geometry. The responses revealed several benefits in terms of Social activities, political activities, economic activities, and religious actives. More so, there were some items which sought to find out what fascinate the artisans to indulge in such actives about your arts that makes it such a crucial part of your life One of the benefits of incorporating the Akan culture into the teaching of geometry is that it makes the learning of geometry as a fun participant indicated
It facilitates teachers' transition from the familiar to the unknown. It helps students understand how useful mathematics is in day-to-day tasks. It makes them see mathematics as not Western but being applied among the Akan as well (Pablo, Educationist)
In the Akan culture, those the school system describe as “unintelligent” are able to understand and apply the geometrical designs in their line of work. There is no one who is unintelligent, everyone has the way they learn and understand concepts. Integrating the Akan culture in teaching and learning geometry will reemphasize the need to make lessons practical which appeals to all the various categories of learners. Moreover, the mathematics will be seen as a part of their daily life activities (Doctor, Adinkra works)
Learning as way of life as sub-theme was at display as the study finds that the Akan culture emphasize practicality, creativity and innovation. As a result, its integration into the mathematics curriculum by adopting their methodology and linking geometry lessons to the indigenous Akan culture will maximize conceptual understanding, ensure leaners are creative and be able to apply what they have learnt to solve real life problems. Respondents disclosed that;
… everyone wants to get a better employment opportunity. So, whenever you’re being asked about what you can bring to the table, it will help the students to be able to think outside the box so that they will be able to identity series of tools or equipment or different ways of solving problems. Linking geometry lessons to Akan culture add to what students already know so that they will be able to grasps the concept, recreate items to solve daily life problems (Boat, Mathematics Educator).
The benefits are enormous, for example, if a teacher brings some of the Akan artefacts or symbols to the classroom and demonstrate to the students during the teaching of geometry, the students will realize that whatever they see around them has a linkage to whatever is being taught which brings relevance to the topic. Once they appreciate the relevance of the topic, it will motivate them to learn to apply (Ruf, Mathematics Educator)
…Integrating the Akan culture will enable us appreciate and value what we have as a society and to begin to understand ourselves very well. We will also value and appreciate what we have and may not think that it is only the Europeans or the whites that have concepts that are mathematical. The Akan culture provides a methodology that is able to appeal to the senses of all learners. This will make lessons lively and comprehensible (WAB, Mathematics Educator).
… what I have observed is that, it will not have been that easy for me to learn Kente weaving with all the geometrical shapes and symbols beautifully embossed if I were to learn following just oral instructions without the practice. If the learner is around, he/she follows what steps you make. In making the geometrical shapes in Kente cloths for instance, you teach the person as you arrange the ropes. The person gets the experience through practice. For us, the learner is always with the trainer and everything is practical unlike what goes on in school. If this mode of instruction is integrated into teaching geometry in schools, learners will not be found wanting and perhaps they may not find the topic as alien (Vice, Kente weaver)
Community as a learning environment was another sub-theme derived under the benefits. Participants observed that, if teachers make use of local examples in teaching geometry, the students will see the whole community as a learning environment. Learning then does not stop at the classroom but it a continues process.
You have an artefact that you can use, really use it and demonstrate to the students and they will really come to terms with it. When they go out they see them when they go home they will see them, and they can really appreciate mathematics in those things ( WAB )
……yeah, the benefits are enormous, for example, bring some of the Akan artefacts or symbols to classroom and demonstrate to the students during the teaching of geometry. That will let the students see that whatever they see around is meaningful to whatever we are teaching. So, it brings relevance to the topic. It does a lot though we don’t do that, but when we are able to do it will help so much so much
As one of the sub-themes, it came up that culture is dynamic. Participants were of the view that the Akan culture has undergone a lot of transformation and will continue to evolve due to the changing trends of technology. It will therefore serve a good purpose if students at the Senior High School are taught geometry using the local examples. Contemporary Akan artists are able to incorporate complex geometrical shapes and designs due to knowledge acquired in school and the advancement of technology. Standard measuring tools and units are now available for use, technology generated shapes have also simplified the work of artists and artisans whose work require the use of geometry. The participants shared that;
Today, people learn to adapt certain things, we are now at stage where at first, we had circular objects like the bowls that were used to serve food, now we have different kinds of shapes. Some of them are spherical, some of them are rectangular, square and some are of different shapes. More so, some of the artisans are able incorporate complex but standardized symbols due to advancement of knowledge on geometry(Ruf, Mathematics Educator)
…Certain geometrical aspects seen in the daily life activities of the Akan society are no longer unconscious. Knowledge gained in schools through the study of geometry have shared light on how these shapes are made. Technology has even perfected the craft making it easy to be incorporated(Konadu, Mathematics Educator).
The Akan culture geometry has undergone some transformation. Everyone wants to perfect what they have and schooling and technology have brought about the means to perfect their craft(Boat, Mathematics Educator).
The contemporary Akan artists to ensure accuracy, typically carry some measuring and construction tools which were not available in the olden times. There has been slight modification to geometrical shapes that were typically seen in the primitive times probably due to technological advancement and excessive borrowing of foreign culture(Vice, Kente weaver)
… back then, they were ignorant of the term “geometry”. Nevertheless, it is evident by their behaviour and viability that they truly understood their own brand of geometry, which is flawless and comparable to Western geometry but approached from a different angle. The Akan culture has been using geometry all this while. Prior to the advent of technology, education transformed majority of them, but technology has raised the bar(Pablo, Mathematics Educator).
…If you look at the earthenware bowl (ayowa) for instance it was only one shape but now when you get to the market you see many shapes. The way they do their things has transformed. Again, in the Kente weaving business, their designs, new designs are coming which when you sit back and look at it you could see that in our daily mathematics, they have parabola, ellipse and they use all those things to do new designs. So, it has transformed from one point to the other as the generation unfolds, new ideas get into them and they apply them to make new designs that appeal to the eye than the previous designs, so normally we say that this design has changed, compared to the past all because always they are bringing in designs that are more sophisticated, that are more complex in a way compared to the previous ones, so it has gone through a lot of transformation probably due to formal education and technology(Rev, Mathematics Educator)
… not much because they use a lot of manual labour in doing work but with the help of technology, I think they can use technology to produce more and also make the process of making it more known to the world, other than that some years to come, other nationals may capitalize on their lack of authorship and take ownership since there are no registration or incorporation proof(WAB, Mathematics Educator).
On economic development, it is worth nothing that all the three participants who are local artisans indicated that they depend on their work for livelihood
..oh, it has helped me tremendously, as a Youngman I don’t depend on anyone, I get everything I want from this job I do, it helps me in my day to day expenses plus some savings on top, I also help others who are in need (AFA K Tailor).
I can confidently say that it has helped me greatly, it is main source of livelihood, it’s also a means of preserving our tradition, our forefathers started it, they are no more, we too will hand it over to the next generation, you see, so we have custom and tradition that we can beat our chest that, this is our own. I feel motivated to finding ways of preserving our culture…. the Kente weaving has made Ntonso a tourist centre. Without which Ntonso would have remain in the dark. Most importantly it gives me exposure, these alone motivate me ( Doctor, Adinkra works )
…. I have not had any negative influence since I started this job and most importantly this is the only work I do, and it has been providing me with all the things I have, it is the proceeds from it that I used to build my house, I got married through it and keeping the family as well ( Vice, Kente weaver ).
The seven other participants who are mathematics teachers also stressed on the economic benefits of integrating the Akan culture into the teaching of geometry. The seven mathematics educators had this to say
Students will begin to accept the Akan culture and patronise its products. We may feel proud going to church even in cloth, in Ahenema. We will feel proud and understand that these things are as people put it Abosomsem (idol worshiping) but it is our way of doing things. It will also let us come to together, it will repel conflicts and misunderstanding between homes, between families, between ethnic groups. When all these things are taught in schools and we begin to appreciate it. Someone coming from different cultural background, once he sees it as being Ghanaian, he’s going to value it and use it, so it will create social cohesion.
…once we begin to see some of these things as Ghanaian, people will patronize it more than what the artisans are doing and it is going to promote their business. It is likely that it will lead to exportation of some of these things and it can bring foreign exchange into the country and it is going to make the work teachers work very cheap, because the materials that you will to teach will be readily available in the environment and it will make teaching in the classroom more relational but not the instrumental type ( WAB ).
RuF believed that when students are taught using examples from Akan traditional settings it will spice up students’ interest and it will ginger some of them to either going into it as a vocation or patronize in the products.
This will only boost production, expand the market and increase returns. The student can have interest in going into those professions when they leave school and then make a living and become entrepreneurs so that they will not depend on anybody or depend on the government for jobs and what have you. Looking at the religious aspect, most of the attire we were to mosques and churches are imported but if we buy into those cloths and sandals we produce locally, we can take them to church or our various worship canters. The Akan also dominate in Ghana here, for example looking at the northern belt the southern belt most of the people are Akan. So at least it will help a lot ( RUF Mathematics educator )
…if such if teachers adopt the use of local products as examples in teaching geometry it will promote the things we produce locally, the market will be shifted towards that area and then it will make it more attractive for students to also get involved in those areas ( Pablo ).
REV believes that people are making a living out of these Akan art without formal education and once High school students are exposed to it in school through geometry, it will bring out a lot of innovations and ingenuity into the art.
… student will be more innovative and that will increase productivity with its resultant economic boast. more designs will come out, it will be pleasing and people will buy them and they will get more money. The students will be well informed and appreciate the culture and it will clear the perception that Christians cannot patronize the local products, we only want to depict culture. Using local products does not change your perception as a Christion. It only identifies you as an Akan (REV)
I have a strongest believe that, it is about time we let people understand our culture, the expression of our culture should not prevent us from being religious animal or whatever, I think we should also embrace it in good faith. Wearing these things do not change you from being a Christian. Whatever in you is still in you but, we only want to depict culture but we should do them in moderation so that others sense of thoughts against whatever we do, that is the way I see it (REV, mathematics Educator)
Boat on his part stressed on the fact that we have depended so much on anything foreign and some people even believe that there can be nothing new again. But he thinks if we train the students with our cultural values they will become innovative and will bring out inventions.
we have the idea that whatever needs to be invented has already being invented but as time goes people are inventing new things. So, when we train students to become innovative through the use of local art they are going to pull up and make others understand the need to preserve their culture and patronise in their local products ( Boat ).