Chapter 5

Chapter 5
The students at Phoenix Park seemed to really enjoy taking part in activity based projects. The students had the freedom of choice to participate in the activities or to sit back and watch others do their work while some chose to do nothing. Those who chose not to do the work (mostly boys) blamed it on the teachers and said the open ended questions where too hard (meaning too open) and they needed some guidance to get through the work (which they did not get). However, the difference between Amber Hill and Phoenix Park really showed when the students talked about their view of mathematics. Those from Amber Hill viewed math just as a series of sums, however, the students from Phoenix Park seemed to be aware or the depth of the subject and the different layers they encountered which helped make meaning and connections for the students in the real world. According to Boaler, the students had a richer more balanced view of the subject.

Boaler, J. (2002). Experiencing School Mathematics. New York: Routledge.