Ethnomodeling Indigenous Knowledge for Decolonizing Mathematics Education: Insights from The Passaungang Tau Heritage Site

Muhammad Nurhusain : STKIP YPUP Makassar , Rizky Ramadhana : STKIP YPUP Makassar , Rezki Novianti : Universitas Muhammadiyah Mamuju , Abdul Hadi : STKIP YPUP Makassar
Submitted: 06-06-2026 || Accepted: 02-09-2026 || Published: 02-09-2026

Abstract


This study is grounded in the growing global discourse on epistemological inclusivity and culturally responsive mathematics education, which recognizes indigenous knowledge as a legitimate source of mathematical learning. The study aims to identify the mathematical meanings embedded in the Passaungang Tau cultural heritage site and examine their pedagogical implications for the decolonization of mathematics education through an ethnomodeling approach. An ethnographic qualitative design was employed, with data collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, documentation, and cultural interpretation involving community elders, cultural practitioners, and traditional stakeholders in the Gantarang Keke community, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The findings indicate that the Passaungang Tau site contains implicit mathematical knowledge reflected in spatial geometry, traditional measurement systems, and numeracy practices rooted in local socio-cultural traditions. Through an ethnomodeling framework, these practices were systematically translated into formal mathematical concepts. Preliminary findings also suggest that culturally contextualized mathematics learning enhances students’ engagement, conceptual understanding, and cultural awareness. Ethnomodeling is therefore positioned as a transformative pedagogical approach that bridges indigenous knowledge and formal school mathematics while supporting the development of contextualized and culturally sustaining mathematics instruction.

Keywords


Ethnomodeling; Ethnomathematics; Indigenous Knowledge; Decolonizing Mathematics Education; Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30596/ijems.v7i3.30909

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Indonesian Journal of Education and Mathematics Science

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