Ethnomathematics for sustainable and culturally responsive mathematics education in Ghana: An ethnographic exploration

Indigenous knowledge has long supported modelling and problem-solving within Ghanaian cultural contexts. This study examines cultural values and artefacts related to mathematics—ethnomathematics—that can make school mathematics more meaningful, realistic, and culturally responsive. The purpose of the study is to identify and describe ethnomathematics materials embedded in local cultural settings that can support mathematics educators and learners in understanding mathematical concepts through context-based modelling. Guided by a naturalistic paradigm, the study adopted a qualitative ethnographic design and used snowball sampling to engage five participants. Findings indicate that mathematics is embedded in everyday cultural practices and, when systematically integrated into curriculum and pedagogy, can strengthen learners’ conceptual understanding, participation, and cultural identity. The study contributes practical insights for developing locally grounded teaching approaches by linking indigenous practices, symbols, and knowledge systems to mathematical modelling and classroom instruction. It further suggests that positioning ethnomathematics as a curriculum resource can support sustainable and equitable mathematics education by valuing local knowledge and improving cultural relevance across educational levels in Ghana.