Developing a Pitjantjatjara mathematics curriculum at Areyonga School.

This project responds to the aspirations of a Pitjantjatjara-speaking community and school to develop primary maths curriculum in language. It is a collaboration between Areyonga School, a linguist, a mathematics education researcher, and local Elders. We focus on the space part of the curriculum, which includes shapes, locations, and directions. Spatial language and spatial metaphor are the basis for much mathematical talk. Developing children’s verbal and spatial reasoning skills can help to lay a firm foundation for other mathematical skills.
In this presentation, we discuss the collaboration so far, from eliciting mathematical language with Elders, to planning lessons with assistant teachers. We also present preliminary findings regarding how Pitjantjatjara speakers can refer to and reason with mathematical concepts in Pitjantjatjara.
As an example, the environment surrounding Areyonga is full of geometrical shapes in the form of rocks that fall from the highly stratified escarpments and rockhills. The language of geometrical shapes developed thus far therefore draws on that used to describe rocks and stone artefacts, and the body, which people metaphorically extend to describe the anatomy of geographical features. A triangle is a kanti—a triangular quartz piece traditionally used as a blade. Rockhills are described as having a mulya ‘nose’ where a ridge ends and slopes downwards. The kanti ‘triangle’ therefore has mulya maṉkurpa ‘three noses’, or three corners.
The language of reasoning is also crucial in the mathematics classroom. We present our findings with regard to comparative constructions, talking about identity and difference, and tasks such as sorting objects according to particular attributes.
While this project directly benefits the children of Areyonga, it also aims to develop a methodology that can then be modified for other languages and contexts. This project is an example of the Pitjantjatjara concept ngapartji-ngapartji, which translates as reciprocity, in line with this year’s theme of ngawiyala.