ABS293 - Our shared common lands: Playing maths in England and Mexico
Theme:
2.4 Cross-national explorations of sociocultural research on learning
What:
Paper in a Working Group Roundtable (WGRT)
When:
3:50 PM, Wednesday 30 Aug 2017
(1 hour)
Where:
Convention Center
- 2000 A - Table D
How:
This paper presents the results of a research project between the University of Suffolk (UoS, UK) and the Autonomous University of Yucatán (UADY, Mexico), supported by a British Academy with a grant from March 2016 to February 2017. The aim of the project was to pilot an intervention instrument, a board game, designed by the UK lead-researcher to support 4 and 5 years old children’s learning of mathematics, as well as the development of dispositions related to children’s social and emotional development. The pilot was run both within a reception class in Ipswich (England), and in two pre-schools in Mérida (México). The board game comprises tasks that support the development of understanding, skills and dispositions in relation to number sense, according to both the Early Years Foundation Stage in England and the Mexican Plan of Studies 2011 for pre-school in the area of mathematics. Additionally, the game’s tasks support children’s development of values of social justice, collaboration and sustainability. An audio recording was undertaken while participants (children, parents and facilitators) played. Additionally, informal interviews and focus groups were undertaken with participants after playing. The data were analysed through thematic analysis to determine ‘what worked’ and ‘what did not work’ in the use of the game, in terms of clarity of the game instructions, mathematical understanding by parents and by children, emotions associated with the activity and collaboration and care while working together.