A study of mathematical thinking in mengkuang weaving / Syahirah Afiqah Mohd Taufik

Ethnomathematics is the research that considers the interrelation both mathematics and culture. In Malaysia, ethnomathematics is applied in many fields such as weave (mengkuang, rattan, and songket), weapon making (Keris), dance (Mak Yong), pottery, woodcarving and others. Moreover, this research will only focus on the motifs of mengkuang weaving as the culture of ethnomathematics research which related to mathematical elements and ae,sthetic significance. As this is a qualitative research that explores mengkuang motifs element and mathematical element will mainly lead to the appreciation of the aesthetic significance. Purposive sampling was used in selecting the subject of this research which is three traditional mengkuang weavers. Participant observation, semi-structured and unstructured interviews were used to gather the data. Then, transcription was used to transcribe the interview sessions which later the data will analyze in different theme. The mengkuang weavers also do have mathematical thinking in their activities, but they are not aware of it. Their thinking has rarely discussed or appreciated. This research discusses the mathematical thinking and the mathematical elements embedded in the creative and artistic mind of the weavers in the process of mengkuang weaving. Their work involves a lot of applications of mathematical concepts such as measurement, accuracy, estimation, ratio, transformation (rotation, resizing, reflection and translation) and geometrical (symmetry and midpoint). The mengkuang motifs also can be categorized under the symmetry group, namely as Frieze Pattern, Wallpaper Pattern and Tessellation Pattern. Later, the mathematical elements that related to mengkuang motifs will interconnectedness to the aesthetic significance which is formalistic element by Clive Bell model and were analyzing them using the framework matrix and triangulation approach. Finding showed that mengkuang weavers did have mathematical thinking in their weaving activities such as estimation, ratio, reflection and repetition. Furthermore, the weavers were creative as the flora or fauna motif were transformation from the real object which came from their observation towards their surroundings. Besides, the motifs also can be classified into certain types of Frieze Pattern and Wallpaper Pattern that consist of transformation concept such as translation, reflection, rotation and glide reflection. Tessellation pattern also takes part to consider the arrangement of the motif which is no gap and no overlapping between the motifs. In addition, the framework matrix is used to find out the similarities between the terms used in mathematical transformation concepts and element of design that later will undergo the triangulation approach to meet the philosophy between them. As a conclusion, this research will help the young generation to preserve their heritage as mengkuang has been recognized for world. It also to give awareness that mathematics is not culture free studies which mengkuang motif can act as a tool in teaching. Besides, this research will relate the beauty of mengkuang motif and the process of weaving involve many mathematical elements and mathematical concepts.