Trade-Blind Mathematics Instruction and Mathematics–Vocational Misalignment in Competency-Based TVET in Ghana

Abstract Mathematics is expected to contribute to occupational competence within competency-based Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), yet its alignment with vocational practice remains limited. This study examines mathematics instruction in relation to welding and fabrication within competency-based TVET in Ghana, focusing on the emergence of trade-blind mathematics instruction. Using an interpretive qualitative case study design, data were generated through semi-structured interviews with seven mathematics teachers in second-cycle TVET institutions and analysed through abductive thematic analysis informed by TPACK, Transfer of Learning, and Situated Learning. Findings indicate that the mathematics–vocational disconnect is shaped by three interrelated conditions: fragmented teacher capacity for vocational integration, constrained opportunities for knowledge transfer, and the absence of authentic vocational learning contexts. These values are consolidated in a curriculum and assessment framework that prioritises symbolic, examination-oriented teaching and learning above practical skill attainment. Consequently, mathematics is taught and learned as an abstract topic, rather than as a practical one. This study builds on research in both TVET and mathematics education by developing a framework to illustrate how the connection between teaching and learning is structurally reproduced in TVET. It proposes trade-blindness as a useful analytical concept to understand how mismatch among teacher knowledge, curriculum design and assessment procedures impacts the learning of mathematics within a vocational context. This research is relevant for curriculum integration, assessment reforms, and industry-linked teacher training in a competency-based TVET system.