Ancient African Number Systems: Exploring Implications for Present-day Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Mathematics Classrooms

Abstract

Inclusive educational systems value the unique contributions students of all backgrounds bring to the mathematics classroom and allow diverse groups to grow side by side, to the benefit of all. Such wide differences are easily catered for when instructional artefacts are culturally curated and utilized for teaching and learning. The differentiation that is present in African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIKS), such as ancient numeration systems, has been affirmed to enhance student self-monitoring, and ensures all students are involved, experience success, and yet are still challenged to improve their academic performance. However, many African indigenous numeral systems are already endangered, with some almost extinct, cutting off the present generation of learners from an appreciation of their cultural roots. This reality has necessitated an exploration of ancient African number systems to re-emphasize the need for incorporation into modern mathematics curriculum for preservation. This study is a conceptual non-systematic narrative literature review aimed at a broad exploration and implications of African numeration systems for present-day mathematics classroom. The study considers the origin of numeration with a particular interest on documented systems across the African continent, including the Bambara, Bamum, Yoruba, Mende, Oberi Okaime, and Wolof numeration systems. The implications of these indigenous numeration systems for equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in present-day mathematics education were duly considered. It is hoped that the deliberations of this study will spur all concerned stakeholders into a joint venture of revival and preservation of our cherished intellectual heritage.