By Dr Emmanuel Asuquo Edoho & Onun Okoi Ibiang
Abstract
This paper x-rayed the field of ethnomathematics as a true reflection of culture. It considers ethnomathematical activities within the cultural diversity of the people. This is aimed at mirroring some cultures within the society in order to improve the culture and to see how it affects the educational system, especially the learning of mathematics. This subject matter was examined under the following headings: counting, the historicity of ancient mathematics, number symbolism and mysticism, the concept of time and record keeping, measurement, the Bakor experience. Ethnomathematics as a culture-based mathematics and a remedy to the problem posed by western mathematics within our school settings has been extensively discussed. It was concluded that ethnomathematical concepts help to improve the methods of teaching school mathematics; teachers of mathematics are therefore encouraged to incorporate the concepts in their teaching approaches.