Integrating a school food garden in teaching mathematics Grade 3 at a school in the Limpopo province

Abstract

The poor performance in mathematics at the foundation phase is generally known – a problem that resonates in the intermediate and secondary phases. Mathematics is one of the core subjects; if a learner fails mathematics, they cannot be promoted to the next grade. This study aimed to design a strategy that can be used to enhance effective teaching and learning of mathematics in Grade 3. Following from the study’s three objectives it explored the challenges teachers experienced upon implementing this strategy. Theoretically, this study is grounded in Critical Emancipatory Theory (CER), which empowers learners' mathematical skills and knowledge to be competitive in the classrooms and societies. The use of food gardens as teaching resource aims to be emancipatory, since it enhances the performance of learners who struggle with mathematics. To ensure a learner-centred approach, the teaching strategy uses Problem-based Learning (PBL). The food garden is used to investigate problems that rely on mathematics for its solutions.