Teachers’ Perceptions of Culturally Relevant Mathematics Education in Oromia’s Colleges of Teacher Education, Ethiopia
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Abstract
Mathematics education in culturally diverse contexts faces challenges when teaching is disconnected from students’ language, culture, and daily experiences. This study explored mathematics teachers’ perspectives on the cultural significance of the mathematics curriculum in Ethiopia. A mixed-methods design with a convergent parallel approach was employed. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires from 199 trainee mathematics teachers, selected using stratified followed by random sampling, while qualitative data were gathered through interviews with 8 lecturers, selected via purposive sampling, across four Colleges of Teacher Education in the Oromia Regional State. Questionnaire data were analyzed using percentages, means, standard deviations, and multiple linear regression for quantitative, and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed inductively and thematically for qualitative data. The study identified three major themes: the pivotal role of native language instruction, the contextualization of mathematics through ethno-mathematics, and the integration of local knowledge into the curriculum as effective teaching strategies. Regression results further revealed that these three predictors jointly explained 52.3% of the variance in overall perceptions, with local knowledge being the strongest contributor, followed by mother tongue and ethno-mathematics. These findings highlight their complementary influence on fostering culturally responsive mathematics education and underscore the need for curriculum reform, professional development, and institutional support to translate positive perceptions into effective classroom practice. The study contributes to the literature on the cultural dimensions of mathematics teaching, learning, and curriculum design.
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