Understanding Grade 10 Learners’ Mathematics Learning Experiences in Rural Schools: Applying the Self-Determination Theory

Source abstract

The increasing performative expectation in mathematics continuously positions rural learners in a deficit manner within the education system in post-apartheid South Africa. The often-cited low academic performance of rural learners in mathematics fosters the belief that something is wrong with their mathematical learning abilities. The problem with narrow and often decontextualized perspectives of rural learners is that their interactions with mathematical content are frequently overlooked in education research. The purpose of this study was to critically explore grade 10 rural learners’ mathematics learning experiences. We employed a qualitative descriptive approach within a case study design, using semi-structured individual interviews supported by unstructured classroom observations to explore and understand learners’ mathematics learning experiences. The findings indicate that multidimensional constructs and introjected regulations play a role in these learning experiences. Overall, learners’ mathematics learning experiences in this study were not solely determined by the teaching and learning context, but by agentic engagement and introjected regulation.