Jo Boaler

Dr. Jo Boaler

Dr. Jo Boaler
Born England
Residence U.S.
Nationality British
Fields Mathematics education
Technology
Institutions Stanford University
Youcubed (founder)
Alma mater King's College London
Liverpool University
Doctoral advisor Paul Black
Mike Askew
Website
joboaler.com

Jo Boaler is a British education author, and is Professor of Mathematics Education at the Stanford Graduate School of Education.[1] Boaler is involved in promoting mathematics education reform and equitable mathematics classrooms.[2][3] She is the CEO and co-founder of Youcubed,[4] a non-profit organization that provides mathematics education resources to parent and educators of K–12 students. She is the author of seven books including, What’s Math Got To Do With It? (2009)[5] and The Elephant in the Classroom (2010),[6] both written for teachers and parents with the goal of improving mathematics education in both the US and UK. Her 1997/2002 book, Experiencing School Mathematics won the "Outstanding Book of the Year" award for education in Britain.[7][8][9] Currently she is the Research Commentary Editor for the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education.

Academic career

Jo Boaler began her career as a secondary mathematics teacher in urban, London secondary schools, including Haverstock School, Camden.[1] After her early career in secondary mathematics education, Boaler received a Master's degree in Mathematics Education from King's College London with distinction in 1991. She completed her PhD in mathematics education at the same University and won the award for best PhD in education from the British Educational Research Association in 1997.[9] In 1998 Jo Boaler became an Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education at Stanford University in the Graduate School of Education.[1] She gained tenure in 2001, and became a full professor there in 2006.[1] From 2000 to 2004, Boaler served as the president of the International Organization of Women and Mathematics Education.[10] In January 2007, she was awarded the Marie Curie Foundation Chair of Excellence [11] at Sussex University. After three years in this post, in 2010, she returned to Stanford and resumed her position as Professor of Mathematics Education.[1] In 2013 Boaler taught the first Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) on mathematics education called “How to Learn Math”.[12][13] Its purpose was to educate teachers and parents about a new way of teaching math in order to help students overcome their fear of math while improving their academic performance.[14] Over 40,000 teachers and parents participated with about 25,000 completing the full 2-16 hour course. [15] At the end-of-course, 95% of survey respondents indicated that they would modify their ways of teaching math.[12][16] Boaler also provides consultation to other Silicon Valley digital educational institutions, such as Novo-ed,[17] Inner Tube Games,[18] and Udacity.[19] In addition, she teaches workshops on teaching for a growth mindset,[20] drawing upon the work of Carol Dweck, author and developer of the theory of growth mindset.[21]

Research

During the early part of Boaler’s career, she conducted longitudinal studies of students learning mathematics through different approaches. Her first three-year study in England was published as, Experiencing School Mathematics: Teaching Styles, Sex, and Setting.[22] The book was later released for an American audience entitled, Experiencing School Mathematics: Traditional and Reform Approaches to Teaching and their Impact on Student Learning (2002).[8][9] In 2000 she was awarded a presidential Early Career Award from the National Science Foundation.[23] This funded a four-year study of students learning mathematics through different approaches in three US high schools.[24] Both of these studies found that students who were actively engaged in mathematics learning, using problem solving and reasoning about methods, achieved at higher levels and enjoyed math more than those who engaged passively by practicing methods that a teacher had demonstrated [25] In addition to focusing on inquiry-based learning (also called enquiry-based learning),[26] Boaler’s work has also focused on gender equity and mathematics.[2] In addition, Boaler’s research has highlighted the problems associated with ability grouping, in England and the US.[27][28][29][30] More recently, Boaler has published research showing the links between timed testing and math anxiety.[31][32] Currently, Boaler is conducting research on mathematics, mistakes, and growth mindset [33] with Stanford University professors, Carol Dweck [34] and Greg Walton.[35]

Controversy

In 2006 mathematician R. James Milgram (Stanford University) accused Boaler of scientific misconduct, which prompted Stanford University to investigate claims challenging the validity of her research. However, Stanford University declined to move forward with the investigation, stating that the allegations "do not have substance”.[26] Milgram, fellow mathematician Wayne Bishop (California State University) and statistician Paul Clopton posted a 44-page, online paper outlining their complaints about one particular study.[36] The story was circulated widely on social media and picked up by the national press.[26] Boaler issued a response in 2012.[37] Her statements were also addressed by Bishop and Milgram.[38]

Awards and honors

1997 Best PhD in Education, 1997, British Educational Research Association, United Kingdom [39] 1998 Elected Fellow Royal Society of Arts Royal Society of Arts 1998 Outstanding Book of the Year Award in Education, Standing Conference for Studies in Education.[40] 2000–2005 Presidential Early Career Award, National Science Foundation [23] 2000 – 2004 President: International Organisation of Women and Mathematics Education (IOWME) [10] 2004 Fellow: Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences [41] 2007 Chair of Excellence: The Marie Curie Foundation [11] 2010 Invited Lecture The Royal Society [42]

Publications

Books:

Journal articles:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Faculty profile for Jo Boaler". Stanford University. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  2. 1 2 Boaler, J.(2002). Paying the Price for "Sugar and Spice": Shifting the Analytical Lens in Equity Research. Mathematical Thinking and Learning. 4(2&3),127-144.
  3. ↑ Stanford, Peter (20 October 2012). "Make Britain Count: 'Stop telling children maths isn’t for them’". The Telegraph. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  4. ↑ "Our Team". youcubed. Stanford Graduate School of Education. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  5. ↑ Boaler, J (2009). What’s Math Got To Do With It? How Parents and Teachers Can Help Children Learn to Love Their Least Favorite Subject. Penguin: New York.
  6. ↑ Boaler, J. (2010). The Elephant in the Classroom: Helping Children Learn & Love Maths. Souvenir Press: London
  7. ↑ Boaler, J. (1997) Experiencing School Mathematics: Teaching Styles, Sex and Setting. Open University Press: Buckingham, England
  8. 1 2 Boaler, J (2002) Experiencing School Mathematics: Traditional and Reform Approaches to Teaching and their Impact on Student Learning.
  9. 1 2 3 "Jo Boaler". Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education. Stanford Graduate School of Education. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  10. 1 2
  11. 1 2
  12. 1 2 Boaler, Jo (12 November 2013). "The Stereotypes That Distort How Americans Teach and Learn Math". The Atlantic. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  13. ↑ Johnston, Theresa (20 May 2014). "Math in action: New online courses offer fresh approach to subject". Graduate School of Education News (Stanford). Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  14. ↑ Rabinovitz, Jonathan (1 July 2013). "Stanford Experiments With Digital Course Designed To Help Students Overcome Fear of Math". wiredacademic. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  15. ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/10414989/University-education-maturing-of-the-Mooc.html
  16. ↑ https://lagunita.stanford.edu/courses/Education/EDUC115N/How_to_Learn_Math/about
  17. ↑
  18. ↑
  19. ↑
  20. ↑ http://www.ncpdf.org/pdf/BoalerFlyer.pdf
  21. ↑ Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset, the new psychology of success. Random House.
  22. ↑
  23. 1 2
  24. ↑
  25. ↑ Boaler, J. (2006). Opening Their Ideas: How a de-tracked math approach promoted respect, responsibility and high achievement. Theory into Practice. Winter 2006, Vol. 45, No. 1, 40-46.
  26. 1 2 3 Jaschik, Scott (15 October 2012). "Casualty of the math wars". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  27. ↑ Boaler, J. (2013) Ability and Mathematics: the mindset revolution that is reshaping education. Forum, Volume 55, Number 1, 2013.
  28. ↑
  29. ↑
  30. ↑
  31. ↑ Boaler, J. (2012) Timed Tests and the Development of Math Anxiety.
  32. ↑
  33. ↑
  34. ↑
  35. ↑
  36. ↑ ftp://math.stanford.edu/pub/papers/milgram/combined-evaluations-version3.pdf
  37. ↑ Boaler, Jo (October 2012). "When Academic Disagreement Becomes Harassment and Persecution". Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  38. ↑ Bishop, Wayne; Milgram, R. James. "A Response to Some of the Points of: When Academic Disagreement Becomes Harassment and Persecution". Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  39. ↑
  40. ↑
  41. ↑
  42. ↑

External links

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