An influence of the indigenous games on mathematics in the modern classroom situation: An in-depth approach

An influence of the indigenous games on mathematics in the modern classroom situation: An in-depth approach

Lekau Eleazar Mphasha

Issue: Vol.7 No.1 2026 Article 11 pp. 145 – 158
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20267111| Published online 27th February 2026
© 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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ABSTRACT

This study assessed the influence of indigenous games on Mathematics in modern days. This included a description of the races of mankind, called ethnography. An ethnographic study was conducted on schools around the Rakwadu Circuit in South Africa. The study, through qualitative means, sought to prove that there is indeed a relationship between Mathematics and traditional games. The findings revealed that studying traditional practices is an integral part of trying to understand the culture of people. This study demonstrates how various traditional games have almost identical characteristics to Mathematics. The study concluded that traditional games are more than just activities played to pass time, but, according to the rural area’s inhabitants, the games are a way of life and form an important part of their culture. This study adds to existing literature on the application of indigenous activities to facilitate modern-day learning in South African classrooms.

Keywords: Indigenous games, Mathematics, traditional games, Ethnography, Rakwadu Circuit.

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ABOUT AUTHOR(S)

Lekau Eleazar Mphasha completed his S. T. D. (Secondary Teachers’ Diploma) at Setotolwane College of Education, B. A. and B. A. (Hons)- University of Limpopo, M. A. and D. Litt. – University of Stellenbosch. Lekau also studied courses such as Design Learning Programmes and Related Learning Materials, ETD Quality Management: Policy Writing, Assessor, Facilitator, Coaching and Mentoring and Moderation. He has published Tshekaseko ya Dingwalwa tša Sesotho sa Leboa (1997), An Outside Jail (2000), The Compound Noun in Northern Sotho: Overview of the Literature on the Morphology and Semantics on the Compound Noun (2010) and Sociolinguistics Comparison of Euphemisms in Northern Sotho and Siswati Folklore Narratives (2025) and other thirty publications. Every time when he looks at his writings, he realizes that it reflects who he is and where he comes from.

TO CITE ARTICLE

Mphasha, Lekau Eleazar. “An influence of the indigenous games on mathematics in the modern classroom situation: An in-depth approach .” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 7, no.1 (2026): 145 – 158. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20267111