Teachers’ Beliefs in Enhancing Number Concepts through Manipulatives in the Foundation Phase in Rural Schools

Mathematical manipulatives promote children’s understanding of number concepts and problem-solving skills. Nevertheless, teachers face the challenges of limited manipulatives and a lack of curriculum support in mathematics, especially in rural areas. The Montessori model of approach explains that using real-world materials and pedagogical practices enhances children’s mathematical concepts. This paper, therefore, explored teachers’ beliefs in enhancing number concepts through manipulatives in the foundation phase in rural schools. The study was conducted in Limpopo, South Africa, with six foundation phase teachers purposively sampled due to their similar experiences in teaching mathematics in rural schools. An interpretivism case study design was employed to elicit rich and in-depth data within qualitative research to explore teachers’ beliefs on using manipulatives to enhance number concepts. Semi-structured interviews and non-participant observations were used to collect data from the participants. The findings revealed that teachers use manipulatives to develop children’s number concepts, shapes and mathematical skills. Despite the limited manipulatives, they improvise by creating materials and integrating games. It is suggested that teachers in rural schools must be creative in designing their manipulatives and use games requiring fewer manipulatives to teach mathematics. This paper contributes to the pedagogical and professional knowledge on addressing the challenge of limited manipulatives in rural schools by using Montessori’s model approach to create real-world manipulatives and integrate play-based pedagogy to enhance children’s mathematical and problem-solving skills.