An analysis of the use of teaching aids and the implications for teaching and learning mathematics in Qwaqwa phase one schools (South Africa)

Teaching Aids have been a common feature in mathematics classrooms although in some instances they were not appropriately used. This study was undertaken to explore whether teaching aids have any impact on teaching and learning mathematics, especially in the Foundation Phase classes. It was conducted in two primary schools in QwaQwa, in the Free State Province in South Africa. It was guided by the constructivist approach, which views mathematics learning as the development of ideas, processes and understanding in a social setting rather that the mere passing on of knowledge from teacher to pupil. Teaching aids, as educational materials, create opportunities which may reveal misconceptions on the part of both teachers and learners. Some teaching aids are quite simple to use and others require training to be able to extract mathematics from them. The study demonstrated that without strictly classifying them in any preferential groupings, teachers provide varying justifications for using teaching aids in their classrooms. In most cases they incorporate in their mathematics lessons any concrete material that will help pupils to relate mathematics to the real world and provide pupils with hands-on activities that will de-emphasize routine and memorising facts, algorithms, formulas and theorems. Most importantly the study revealed that teaching aids have a positive effect on teaching mathematics even in less than optimal circumstances, that is, under-resourced, rural, second language classrooms