The purpose of this study is to observe some factors that may affect the
understanding of subtraction with borrowing. The study is done in a foreign
environment, in Kenya. Factors that will be looked into are: the classroom
environment, the situation of learning in a second language. The study will
also observe factors that can cause an erroneous answer and what those may
look like. Within this area manipulatives will be mentioned.
The study has used a qualitative as well as quantitative approach. The
qualitative method has been accomplished through interviews and
observations, the quantitative method through tests given to the learners. For
the analysis of the observations, Cobb’s and Yackel’s model (1995) of the
mathematical classroom has been used. The study is interpreted from a
sociocultural perspective focusing interaction.
The result in this study shows that the interaction in the classroom is
important to the individual learning, perceptions of mathematics and the
expectations on the individual. Learning in a second language can be a
barrier. The use of manipulatives can work as a scaffold, but it can also hinder
the learner to develop a deeper understanding.