Research Project in Education for: Masters in Education / This study analyzed the pedagogical practices of three Grade 10 Mathematical Literacy (ML) educators. The rationale behind the study was to add information and insight into the very new and under researched Further Education and Training secondary school subject of ML. Botha (2011) discussed how one of the main concerns with ML integration into the South African national curriculum was that the educators being asked to teach ML were moved into it from other subjects without any real education or training, and so when teaching, relied on previously learned pedagogical practices from other subjects. It is the contention of this study that this is a real issue in terms of the teaching of ML in classrooms and in terms of damaging its perceived academic status. In order to offer insight into how ML is its own distinct subject and not simply a lesser version of Mathematics, this study analyzed three lessons of each of the three educators through the lens of Pedagogical Link Making (PLM) (Scott, Mortimer, & Ametller, 2011). PLM was the conceptual framework that guided the observations and post observation interviews, and through analysis of the educators’ pedagogical practices as well as a thematic analysis of discussion points during the interviews, this study came to five major findings. The findings suggested that the ML educators were not properly educated in ML pedagogy and that the educators made the majority of pedagogical decisions in the classroom based on generating learner interest and motivation for work. It also found that the educators used many of the links outlined by PLM, but also admitted to holding a lower academic expectation of ML and ML learners. A call is made to increase research into the relatively new subject of ML along the lines of pedagogical practices in order to assist new ML educators to translate and transmit the goals and content of ML provided for by the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS

The researcher's experience as a high school mathematics teacher in several African countries convinced her that a good number of mathematics learners exhibit serious difficulties in conceptualising mathematics properly. Her experience in teaching the subject in the Ciskei since 1990 reinforced this conviction. The researcher's natural curiosity to probe into the causes of the poor state of mathematics education in the region served as the springboard into her investigation. Her thoughts developed in line with the emerging educational theories of social constructivism. This provided a conceptual framework for the solution of the problem, the feasibility of which was put to test practically in a Ciskeian classroom. She explicates that the difficulties experienced by the pupils in conceptualising mathematics are philosophically deep rooted and latent in the present system of mathematics education itself, which, in Ciskei, impedes the learners' conceptualisation owing to numerous problems related to their linguistic and cultural situatedness. In the analysis of the present system of mathematics education in the Ciskei she reviews a few recently published mathematics text books in the context of the topics chosen for her research study. The results of her classroom investigation establish that a possible solution to the problem lies in the social constructivist teaching approaches.

Multicultural countries such as England have recognised the need to multiculturalise their mathematics curricula to cater for the needs of all ethnic/cultural groups, to encourage racial harmony and have pupils of a specific culture learn about, and accord respect to, another culture (Duncan, 1986;Dyson, 1986; Gilbert, 1984). However, in South Africa, a multicultural country with its large Black majority, such an approach has not been given the necessary attention. Laridon (1990) has criticised the way in which curriculum development in mathematics is conducted in South Africa. He describes it as a "top-down" approach and based on input from non-representative samples of teachers and not taking into account the needs of all cultural groups in South Africa. He criticises the manner in which topics are added to or removed from the syllabus and calls this "syllabus tinkering". With a number of, mostly English medium, schools opening their doors to all races, it is possible that certain cultural groups are at a disadvantage when compared with others if modifications to the syllabus, to accommodate their needs, are not made. This study is a small scale case-study, conducted at Woolhope Secondary, a predominantly Indian school, but with a significant number of Black pupils (approximately 25%). The study focusses on the need for a multicultural approach to mathematics curriculum design. The views of the senior mathematics pupils and mathematics teachers are considered in this regard, and together with the relevant literature, broad guidelines for a multicultural mathematics curriculum design in South Africa are suggested.