By HERI Africa Research Chair Communications
A new initiative by the HERI Africa Research Chair is turning abstract arithmetic into tangible discovery, and in doing so, is quietly transforming what it means to learn mathematics in rural schools in Kenya.
Walk into a typical primary school mathematics class and you are likely to encounter a familiar scene, a blackboard filled with numbers, a teacher talking, and rows of children copying into exercise books. For many learners, mathematics remains a world of symbols without meaning, a subject endured rather than understood. The HERI Africa Research Chair in Mathematics Education at the University of Embu is working to change that, one school at a time.
At DEB Kangaru Primary School, a mathematics laboratory is open, a dedicated learning space where teaching and young learners engage with numbers through structured, hands-on exploration. The laboratory signals a bold commitment to reimagining early numeracy education in Kenyan primary schools.
Unlike conventional classrooms, the mathematics laboratory will provide leaners with learning materials and resources to investigate, experiment and discover mathematical concepts hand-on activities. The lab places learners at the center of experiential learning process, enabling them to ask questions, discover and test ideas, and construct knowledge through experimentation and practical experience. By touching, building and talking through blocks, number lines, geometric shapes, measurement tools, puzzles, visual charts and other assortment of teaching aids, young learners will truly like and understand mathematics.
A Key Milestone in Early Numeracy Teaching
For learners at DEB Kangaru, the laboratory offers something that textbooks alone cannot, the experience of doing mathematics. A child who has physically grouped objects into equal sets carries an intuition for division that no written algorithm can fully replace. A learner who has folded paper to explore fractions holds that knowledge in their hands as much as in their mind.
The establishment of this laboratory therefore marks a significant milestone. It affirms that providing young learners with a learning environment that reflects the true richness of mathematics should become a reality in classroom practice within local public schools.
This project, embedded within the research and pedagogical framework of the HERI Research Chair in Mathematics Education and the broader work of HERI Africa, will serve as a research space where evidence-based teaching approaches are developed, tested and refined. Teachers at DEB Kangaru will act as active participants in understanding how young learners develop numeracy skills, and their insights will shape the methodologies that emerge from this work.
Towards a Model School for Foundational Numeracy
The transformative effects of a well-resourced and well-supported maths laboratory will go beyond improved test scores. DEB Kangaru Primary School can expect a cascade of positive transformations that touch learners, teachers and the school community.
- Strong Numeracy outcomes: Learners who engage with concrete mathematical materials demonstrate improved understanding of number operations, spatial reasoning and problem-solving, skills that are skills that are foundational for all subsequent mathematics competencies and lifelong learning.
- A shift in how teachers teach: Exposure to laboratory-based approaches empowers teachers to move beyond textbook dependency, adopting inquiry-led strategies that serve diverse learners and learning styles.
- Greater learner confidence: When mathematics becomes something a child can explore without fear of failure, attitudes towards the subject transform. Children who feel capable in maths are more likely to persist, ask questions, pursue purse desired education pathway and general show confidence in lifelong learning.
- Repositioning the school as a centre of innovation: A functioning maths laboratory raises the profile of DEB Kangaru within its community and among peer schools, attracting interest, partnerships, and the professional pride that comes with leading educational change.
- A replicable model for the region: What begins at one school can grow. The lessons learned at DEB Kangaru will inform how similar laboratories might be established across Embu County and beyond, creating a scalable pathway for improving early numeracy at scale.
The mathematics laboratory at DEB Kangaru Primary School is founded on the belief that every learner can develop strong numeracy skills when provided with the right learning environment, appropriate tools, and supportive teachers who believe in their potential.
Advancing Action Research in Mathematics Education
Research in mathematics education consistently shows that young learners build stronger and more lasting numeracy skills when abstract concepts are grounded in physical experience. The maths laboratory at DEB Kangaru directly addresses the most persistent gaps in early numeracy teaching through four core pillars:
- Concrete learning: – Learners manipulate objects before working with symbols, building deep conceptual understanding.
- Active engagement: -Collaborative tasks replace passive listening, boosting attention and mathematical talk.
- Reduced anxiety: –A low-stakes, exploratory environment helps dismantle the fear of getting the wrong answer.
- Curiosity-driven inquiry: –Learners investigate patterns and relationships, developing thinking skills beyond rote computation.
he HERI Africa Research Chair in Mathematics Education at the University of Embu remains committed to ensuring that the lessons emerging from this laboratory are documented and communicated to support their adoption and implementation in other schools and to inform policy formulation.
The HERI Africa Research Chair in Mathematics Education is hosted at the University of Embu and forms part of the HERI Africa initiative, a Pan-African program committed to advancing Africa-led education research for impact.
