Assessing the Quality of Mathematics in Cameroon Primary School Textbooks and its Implications to Learning

Abstract

Mathematics textbooks for upper primary classes in the English Subsystem of Education in Cameroon were examined to determine the quality of mathematics in them and possible teacher knowledge fostered. The quality of mathematics in these textbooks is classified as medium and the dominant teacher knowledge fostered is common content knowledge. This is because the textbooks are full of accurate standard algorithms and mathematical definitions, yet lack the use of multiple strategies and representations. They also contain high proportion of mathematical explanations that are either partially accurate or accurate but incomplete. Textbooks with medium mathematical quality have high potentials of causing learners and teachers to be mathematically malnourished.