Abstract
Mathematics education in South Africa faces significant challenges, particularly in the foundation phase, where learners struggle to solve mathematical word problems. This study examines the linguistic and numerical factors that impact Grade 3 learners' ability to solve problems within a multilingual South African context, where English is often the language of learning and teaching but not the learners' primary language.
Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods case study design, the research was conducted in a quintile five public primary school in Gauteng. Quantitative data were collected from 41 Grade 3 learners through three assessments: the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA), an Arithmetic Mathematics Test, and a custom-designed Word Problem Test. This was followed by a qualitative phase involving an in-depth error analysis of learners' written responses to identify and categorise computational and translational errors.
The findings reveal that while computational skills are necessary, they are insufficient for success. The primary barrier identified was the challenge of translating linguistic information into mathematical operations. Learners consistently defaulted to superficial "keyword strategies," leading to systematic errors, particularly in semantically complex problem types, such as Compare and Equalise. Qualitative error analysis further exposed procedural fragility in multi-step operations and a critical lack of metacognitive monitoring.
The study concludes that linguistic proficiency acts as a gatekeeper to mathematical problem-solving. The cognitive load imposed by decoding complex language in a second language overwhelms working memory, hindering both numerical reasoning and the application of metacognitive strategies. The research recommends a pedagogical shift towards integrated language-mathematics instruction, scaffolded procedural training, and explicit teaching of metacognitive strategies to bridge the language-mathematics divide in multilingual classrooms.