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Influence of socio-economic background and cultural practices on mathematics education in India: a contemporary overview in historical perspective

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Abstract

The nature, extent and quality of mathematics learning among young children in India cannot be adequately understood without looking at the larger context of education and the social background of the children. Society, including schools, characterized by large inequalities impacts mathematics learning. Beginning with a brief overview of (mathematics) education in India, in historical and sociological perspectives, an appraisal is presented of the need and nature of mathematics learning revealed by field studies in two communities in a deprived rural setting and a low-income urban setting, respectively. While the latter was economically active, the former was much poorer in work and education opportunities, though had richer cultural practices that involved engagement with mathematical riddles, puzzles, folklores and mnemonic tables. The paper discusses the enabling potential of the knowledge resources, including work-context knowledge, which exist in both the communities despite the prevalent deprivations due to disadvantaged conditions. Yet in both situations mathematics learning remains disconnected from formal school mathematics. Factors within SES that possibly have strong bearings on mathematics learning are highlighted which can scaffold stronger integration with curricular and pedagogic practices. Both the groups presented potentially rich contexts for drawing upon everyday mathematical knowledge that can inform effective mathematics learning, which has been inadequately explored in curriculum and instructional design thus far.

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Notes

  1. NCERT is the apex academic authority at the national level in India that designs curricula for school education and teacher education, and also textbooks.

  2. The idea of ‘Basic Education’ was formulated under Gandhi’s inspiration and guidance at an Educational Conference in Wardha, India, in 1938.

  3. As a social group the ‘scheduled caste’ are usually referred to as ‘Dalits’ and they often face social discrimination and prejudice. According to the 2011 population census, Dalits formed more than 16 % of India’s population.

  4. Informal sector enterprises stand for unincorporated proprietary and partnership enterprises while unorganised sector subsumes cooperative societies, trusts, private and public limited companies in addition to informal sector enterprises.

  5. Mushar (meaning ‘rodent-hunters’) is a subaltern caste whose members dwell in different parts of north India. They are considered ‘untouchables’ and come under the category ‘scheduled caste’. As a common practice, people from this socially marginalized community face social segregation and live in groups generally on the outskirts of villages and do not have much access to the formal education system.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the respondents, community elders, key informants, teachers and school authorities for their support; and K. Subramaniam, Bill Atweh, Paola Valero and Varun Kumar for giving valuable feedback.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (TIFR), Mumbai, India

    Arindam Bose

  2. Patna University, Patna, India

    Vinay K. Kantha

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  1. Arindam Bose
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  2. Vinay K. Kantha
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Correspondence to Arindam Bose.

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Bose, A., Kantha, V.K. Influence of socio-economic background and cultural practices on mathematics education in India: a contemporary overview in historical perspective. ZDM Mathematics Education 46, 1073–1084 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-014-0607-x

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