Practice approach to mathematics#

Boaler (2015)

I followed students for three years through a practice approach to mathematics—students were shown isolated examples in math class, which they practiced over and over again

Results#

Which she argues will hinder development of mathematical-mindset with research to back it up (see conceptual-approach-to-mathematics)

The oversimplification of mathematics and the practice of methods through isolated simplified procedures is part of the reason we have widespread failure in the United States and the United Kingdom. It is also part of the reason that students do not develop mathematical mindsets; they do not see their role as thinking and sense making; rather, they see it as taking methods and repeating them. Students are led to think there is no place for thinking in math class.

Further research asked students what their role was in this type of class to "pay careful attention"

References#

Boaler, J. (2015). Creating Mathematical Mindsets: The Importance of Flexibility with Numbers. In Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching (pp. 33--56). John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.