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Formal vs. informal mathematics: Assessing numeracy with school and market items in a large sample of school-aged children in North-West Nigeria

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  • Weber, Ann-Charline
  • Bogler, Lisa
  • Vollmer, Sebastian

Abstract

While school-aged children in resource-poor settings often perform poorly on standardized tests in mathematics, they can frequently be seen engaging in market activities, conducting monetary transactions. This suggests that children in these settings actually have much more advanced skills in basic mathematics than what is assessed at school. For this study, we designed a learning assessment that captures a broader skill set, including tasks presented as formal and informal mathematics. We provide evidence of a considerable skill gap between formal mathematics and informal mathematics in a large sample of school-aged children in North-West Nigeria. We explore several potential explanations for this skill gap. Market engagement is positively associated with the ability to solve the informal tasks but not formal tasks.

Suggested Citation

  • Weber, Ann-Charline & Bogler, Lisa & Vollmer, Sebastian, 2024. "Formal vs. informal mathematics: Assessing numeracy with school and market items in a large sample of school-aged children in North-West Nigeria," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:102:y:2024:i:c:s027277572400058x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2024.102564
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