An ethnomathematical case study on the mathematical concepts, mathematical practices and beliefs of the Malay songket weavers / Nor Maizan Abdul Aziz

Songket is generally valued for its beautiful designs and patterns and not for the originality of ideas, which flows from the creative minds and the skilful hands of the gifted songket weavers. This is a qualitative research on ethnomathematics to investigate the mathematical concepts, mathematical...

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Main Author: Abdul Aziz, Nor Maizan
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: 2016
Online Access:http://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/17905/
http://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/17905/1/TP_NOR%20MAIZAN%20ABDUL%20AZIZ%20CS%2016_5.pdf
id uitm-17905
recordtype eprints
spelling uitm-179052018-09-26T03:30:43Z http://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/17905/ An ethnomathematical case study on the mathematical concepts, mathematical practices and beliefs of the Malay songket weavers / Nor Maizan Abdul Aziz Abdul Aziz, Nor Maizan Songket is generally valued for its beautiful designs and patterns and not for the originality of ideas, which flows from the creative minds and the skilful hands of the gifted songket weavers. This is a qualitative research on ethnomathematics to investigate the mathematical concepts, mathematical practices and beliefs of the Malay songket weavers. In particular, the mathematics used in the songket weaving process, the motifs and patterns design process and the mathematical concepts found in a few selected songket patterns. Purposive sampling is used to select the subjects of this research. The songket weavers being the subjects for this study fall under two categories; six older generation traditional weavers and three younger generation contemporary weavers. Three mathematics lecturers from Universiti Teknologi MARA were chosen to be the respondents in identifying perceptions on the mathematical concepts that exist in the weaving process and the songket patterns. Questionnaires, observations, semi-structured and unstructured interviews were used to gather the data. The observations and interviews were videotaped and data was analysed using the framework of Universal Integrated Approach. This study has shown that songket weaving not only requires special skill and creativity, but mathematical knowledge and mathematical thinking is also embedded in the creative and artistic minds of the Malay songket weavers. Their work involves a lot of mathematical concepts, mathematical practices and values. The mathematics lecturers who were interviewed had acknowledged the existence of mathematical concepts and mathematical practices in the work of the weavers, and they also managed to identify some mathematics concepts and values embedded in a few selected songket patterns. It seems that the work of the weavers involves the mathematical practices of designing, visualizing, calculating, measuring, transforming, planning, organizing, executing, checking, correcting, repeating, drilling and adjusting. The application of mathematics concepts and values identified in the songket patterns are from the basic algebra of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, measurement, size and scaling, approximation and precision, ratio and proportion, sequence, combination, equity and balance, geometrical shapes and geometrical concepts such as symmetry, transverse symmetry and mid-point, and the transformation concepts such as reflections and reflection axes, rotations and rotation points, dilation and repetitions. This study managed to replicate the existing songket pattern by applying the mathematics transformations concepts identified in the pattern using GeoGebra. The songket patterns could even be categorized under the symmetry groups standardized by the Union of Crystallography namely the Frieze Pattern and the Wallpaper Pattern. Mathematics transformations concepts could be used to generate new songket patterns, patterns with better symmetry, precise and accurate thread counts and examples of new songket patterns produced using those concepts using GeoGebra are also shown. The study also has revealed that the personality, action and work of the weavers portray their Islamic values and beliefs. They are humble, sincere, honest, conscientious, accountable, disciplined, organized, patient and hard working. 2016 Thesis NonPeerReviewed text en http://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/17905/1/TP_NOR%20MAIZAN%20ABDUL%20AZIZ%20CS%2016_5.pdf Abdul Aziz, Nor Maizan (2016) An ethnomathematical case study on the mathematical concepts, mathematical practices and beliefs of the Malay songket weavers / Nor Maizan Abdul Aziz. PhD thesis, Universiti Teknologi MARA.
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Local University
institution Universiti Teknologi MARA
building UiTM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
language English
description Songket is generally valued for its beautiful designs and patterns and not for the originality of ideas, which flows from the creative minds and the skilful hands of the gifted songket weavers. This is a qualitative research on ethnomathematics to investigate the mathematical concepts, mathematical practices and beliefs of the Malay songket weavers. In particular, the mathematics used in the songket weaving process, the motifs and patterns design process and the mathematical concepts found in a few selected songket patterns. Purposive sampling is used to select the subjects of this research. The songket weavers being the subjects for this study fall under two categories; six older generation traditional weavers and three younger generation contemporary weavers. Three mathematics lecturers from Universiti Teknologi MARA were chosen to be the respondents in identifying perceptions on the mathematical concepts that exist in the weaving process and the songket patterns. Questionnaires, observations, semi-structured and unstructured interviews were used to gather the data. The observations and interviews were videotaped and data was analysed using the framework of Universal Integrated Approach. This study has shown that songket weaving not only requires special skill and creativity, but mathematical knowledge and mathematical thinking is also embedded in the creative and artistic minds of the Malay songket weavers. Their work involves a lot of mathematical concepts, mathematical practices and values. The mathematics lecturers who were interviewed had acknowledged the existence of mathematical concepts and mathematical practices in the work of the weavers, and they also managed to identify some mathematics concepts and values embedded in a few selected songket patterns. It seems that the work of the weavers involves the mathematical practices of designing, visualizing, calculating, measuring, transforming, planning, organizing, executing, checking, correcting, repeating, drilling and adjusting. The application of mathematics concepts and values identified in the songket patterns are from the basic algebra of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, measurement, size and scaling, approximation and precision, ratio and proportion, sequence, combination, equity and balance, geometrical shapes and geometrical concepts such as symmetry, transverse symmetry and mid-point, and the transformation concepts such as reflections and reflection axes, rotations and rotation points, dilation and repetitions. This study managed to replicate the existing songket pattern by applying the mathematics transformations concepts identified in the pattern using GeoGebra. The songket patterns could even be categorized under the symmetry groups standardized by the Union of Crystallography namely the Frieze Pattern and the Wallpaper Pattern. Mathematics transformations concepts could be used to generate new songket patterns, patterns with better symmetry, precise and accurate thread counts and examples of new songket patterns produced using those concepts using GeoGebra are also shown. The study also has revealed that the personality, action and work of the weavers portray their Islamic values and beliefs. They are humble, sincere, honest, conscientious, accountable, disciplined, organized, patient and hard working.
format Thesis
author Abdul Aziz, Nor Maizan
spellingShingle Abdul Aziz, Nor Maizan
An ethnomathematical case study on the mathematical concepts, mathematical practices and beliefs of the Malay songket weavers / Nor Maizan Abdul Aziz
author_facet Abdul Aziz, Nor Maizan
author_sort Abdul Aziz, Nor Maizan
title An ethnomathematical case study on the mathematical concepts, mathematical practices and beliefs of the Malay songket weavers / Nor Maizan Abdul Aziz
title_short An ethnomathematical case study on the mathematical concepts, mathematical practices and beliefs of the Malay songket weavers / Nor Maizan Abdul Aziz
title_full An ethnomathematical case study on the mathematical concepts, mathematical practices and beliefs of the Malay songket weavers / Nor Maizan Abdul Aziz
title_fullStr An ethnomathematical case study on the mathematical concepts, mathematical practices and beliefs of the Malay songket weavers / Nor Maizan Abdul Aziz
title_full_unstemmed An ethnomathematical case study on the mathematical concepts, mathematical practices and beliefs of the Malay songket weavers / Nor Maizan Abdul Aziz
title_sort ethnomathematical case study on the mathematical concepts, mathematical practices and beliefs of the malay songket weavers / nor maizan abdul aziz
publishDate 2016
url http://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/17905/
http://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/17905/1/TP_NOR%20MAIZAN%20ABDUL%20AZIZ%20CS%2016_5.pdf
first_indexed 2023-09-18T22:59:19Z
last_indexed 2023-09-18T22:59:19Z
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