CONSTRUCTION OF MATHEMATICAL KNOWLEDGE IN A CULTURAL CONTEXT, BASED ON TRADITIONAL HOUSES IN THE CHINHAMBUDZI COMMUNITY IN THE MANICA DISTRICT OF MOZAMBIQUE

Abstract

This article investigates the construction of mathematical knowledge in a cultural context, using as a reference the traditional houses of the communities of Chinhambudzi, in the district of Manica, Mozambique. It starts from the assumption that mathematics is neither neutral nor universal, but rather a socially and culturally situated practice. In this sense, the study seeks to analyze how mathematical knowledge emerges from local everyday practices, especially in the techniques used to build traditional dwellings. The research adopts a qualitative approach, with an ethnographic character, prioritizing direct observation, interviews with community members, and analysis of local architectural structures. The traditional houses reveal the presence of mathematical concepts such as geometry (circular and rectangular shapes), symmetry, proportion, measurement, and spatial organization, which are implicitly mobilized in these communities. The results indicate that the processes of constructing traditional houses in this community not only reflect implicit mathematical knowledge but also constitute a legitimate space for knowledge production, often undervalued by formal education, and which in some way could be incorporated into current thematic curricula, bringing it closer to students’ reality, while also highlighting the need for a mathematics education that recognizes and integrates local cultural knowledge.