Abstract
The findings of a phenomenological interview study with women street vendors showed a strong link between participants’ perceptions of everyday use of mathematical literacy and the speculations that mathematical use arose spontaneously in response to a practical need. The concept of intuitive mathematics as used indicates that mathematical thinking is an indispensable element of everyday conversation. Although the study finds that intuition and spontaneity are essential principles of lifelong learning, it concludes with recommendations for an empowerment curriculum that interweaves participants’ experiences and intuition with formal/academic mathematical literacy and psychosocial skills necessary for success in a highly competitive business world.
Highlights
Botswana is a sparsely populated country in the Southern African region with a population of about 1.7 million, occupying a land with an area of 582,000 square kilometres (224,710 square miles)
In Botswana, the Department of Non-Formal Education in the Ministry of Education is responsible for major activities relating to adult basic literacy
The focus of this paper is on mathematical literacy, especially that of using numbers, as applied daily by women street vendors
Summary
Botswana is a sparsely populated country in the Southern African region with a population of about 1.7 million, occupying a land with an area of 582,000 square kilometres (224,710 square miles). In Botswana, the Department of Non-Formal Education in the Ministry of Education is responsible for major activities relating to adult basic literacy In this department, literacy is mainly viewed as ‘a set of language and communication skills, attitudes and knowledge involving an integration of listening, speaking, reading, writing, numeracy and critical thinking which people require and can effectively use to varying degrees’ (Central Statistics Office 1997:3). The women street vendors who participated in the study knew a great deal about their business, especially handling money They added, counted and subtracted, and what they did was intuitive. In the case of street vendors, real contexts mean selling and buying, that is, business transactions
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