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Jo Boaler

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Jo Boaler
Jo Boaler, 2013
Born1964 (age 60–61)
England, United Kingdom
NationalityBritish
Alma materLiverpool University
King's College London
Scientific career
FieldsMathematics education
InstitutionsStanford University
Doctoral advisorPaul Black
Mike Askew

Jo Boaler (born 1964[1]) is a British education author and Nomellini–Olivier Professor of mathematics education at the Stanford Graduate School of Education.[2] Boaler is involved in promoting reform mathematics[3][4] and equitable mathematics classrooms.[5] She is the co-founder and faculty director of youcubed, a Stanford center that offers mathematics education resources to teachers, students and parents,[6] and the cofounder of Struggly, a classroom platform to support K-12 students struggling with mathematics.[7] She is the author, co-author or editor of eighteen mathematics books, including Limitless Mind,[8] Mathematical Mindsets,[9] The Elephant in the Classroom,[10] and What's Math Got To Do With It?,[11] and Math-ish.[12]

Early life and education

Boaler grew up outside of Birmingham, England. Her mother was a secretary, and her father was a technical draftsman.[13] Her mother attended Open University to study to become a teacher and in this way Boaler experienced "cutting-edge, play-based educational ideas of the day".[14] Boaler said she found her early mathematics classes largely rote and procedural until one of her secondary school mathematics teachers emphasized group discussions in class.[13]

Boaler received a Bachelors in Psychology from Liverpool University in 1985.[2][15] As part of initial training to become an educational psychologist, Boaler spent two years of secondary school teaching in central London[14] at Haverstock School in Camden.[16] After teaching experiences there inspired her to change course, Boaler received a master's degree and a Ph.D. in mathematics education from King's College London in 1991 and 1996.[13][17] She won the award for best Ph.D. in education from the British Educational Research Association in 1997.[18]

Career

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 in 1997 as "Experiencing School Mathematics: Teaching Styles, Sex, and Setting".[19]

Emigration to the US

In 1998, Boaler became an Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education at Stanford University in the Graduate School of Education.[15] She became an associate professor in 2000 and left as a full professor in 2006.[15]

In 2000, she obtained a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to conduct a longitudinal study of 3 schools in California,[20][13] resulting in a 2005 preprint[21] and 2008[22] publication. The study compared 3 cohorts of students, one from each school, each of whom started algebra in 9th grade, but under different conditions. At the two schools the study dubbed “Greendale” and “Hilltop,” where some students took algebra 1 in 8th grade due to "tracking," the study followed a track of students who took algebra 1 in 9th grade and were offered a "traditional" curriculum. These cohorts were compared against an unspecified subset of students at "Railside" school (over an hour north of the other 2 schools[13]), which followed a "reform" curriculum and had all students start algebra in 9th grade (detracking).[13][22][23] Findings from the study were used to support further reform efforts.[13]

In 2006, Stanford mathematician R. James Milgram filed a complaint of research misconduct against Boaler over various concerns about methodology and data representation.[13][24] Milgram later co-authored a paper along with mathematician Wayne Bishop of California State University at Los Angeles and statistician Paul Clopton, stating that Boaler's conclusions in the Railside study were "grossly exaggerated and do not translate into success for her treatment [of] students".[13][23] A report published by Stanford stated that the allegations "do not have substance" and that Boaler offered a "scientific rationale" for each of the disputed claims.[24] Describing the complaint as a matter of "academic debate", the university declined to investigate further.[13] In 2012 Boaler published a statement on her Stanford homepage, accusing Milgram, Bishop (and others) of harassment, persecution, and attempts to "suppress research evidence".[25] Bishop and Milgram each issued rebuttals.[26][27]

Return to England

In 2006, Boaler left Stanford for the United Kingdom. She was awarded a posting as the Marie Curie professor at Sussex University by the Marie Curie Foundation.[28] While in England, Boaler authored two books, What's Math Got To Do With It? and The Elephant in the Classroom.[11][10]

Return to California

In 2010, Boaler returned to Stanford and resumed her position as Professor of Mathematics Education.[15] In 2012, she published articles on links between timed testing and math anxiety.[29][failed verification] In addition to focusing on inquiry-based learning,[24] Boaler's research has highlighted problems associated with ability grouping in England and the US,[30][31][32] and she has written about mistakes and growth mindset in the context of mathematics.[33]

In 2013, Boaler taught the first Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) on mathematics education, called "How to Learn Math",[34][35] with about 40,000 teachers and parents participating, of whom about 25,000 completed the course.[36] In the same year, she founded youcubed.org with Cathy Williams, former director of Mathematics in the Vista Unified School District[6] to offer mathematics resources for mathematics teachers.[37]

In 2014, the San Francisco Unified School District reformed its math program in an effort to reduce the segregation of socio-economically disadvantaged students into lower-level math classes. The new program removed honors classes and accelerated math, placing all students into the same curriculum, and delayed the teaching of algebra until the 9th grade.[38] Inspired by Boaler's work, classrooms were reorganized with groups of students collaborating to solve a series of math problems.[38] Boaler met with district representatives and later praised the effort in an op-ed for The Hechinger Report; however, the district superintendent said the updated policy differed from Boaler's recommendations.[13]

Boaler criticized New York State's 2015 implementation of a Common Core–based math curriculum as being too focused on speed and rote learning at the expense of students' ability to think about numbers creatively.[39]

In 2024, Boaler launched a Basketball Data Analytics unit through the youcubed.[40] Boaler partnered with Stanford's women's basketball team to use statistics to help students and players grades four through 10 improve and make decisions with data through basketball.[40][41]

Youcubed

In 2013, Boaler co-founded youcubed, a research centre at Stanford University's Graduate School of Education, with Cathy Williams.[6][42] Boaler currently serves as youcubed's faculty advisor.[6] Youcubed offers K-12 mathematics education resources to teachers, students and parents.[42][43]

Struggly

Boaler is the cofounder of Struggly, a classroom platform to support K-12 students struggling with mathematics,[7] which has received the Red Dot Design Award,[44] a Webby Award,[45] the SXSW EDU Launch Startup Competition Community Choice Award,[46] and "Best of 2023" at dda23.[47]

2021 California mathematics framework

Boaler is one of the original authors[48][49] of the California Department of Education's Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (Mathematics Framework), otherwise known as the 2021 mathematics framework, which was adopted by the state Board of Education in July, 2023.[50][51][52] The framework was based on work of Boaler and her Youcubed co-founder, among others, and reflects input from educators, parents, students, and others who commented during two 60-day review periods in 2021 and 2022.[53][13] The framework provides guidance for math teaching and learning for grade school students at all levels of math, including calculus.[51] Supporters of the framework included organizations from across California, such as the California Teachers Association,[54] National Council of Teachers of Mathematics,[52] Californians Together, the California Partnership for Math and Science Education, the English Learners Success Forum, the Loyola Marymount University Center for Equity for English Learners, the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, The Education Trust-West, and UnboundEd.[55]

The Framework has received criticism during its adoption and to this day from mathematics educators and professors belonging to a different school of thought for how math ought to be taught.[56][57][52] For example, authors describing themselves as "a significant majority of black faculty across the UC system in fields related to data science (mathematics, statistics, and electrical engineering/computer science)" wrote an open letter expressing concerns that the proposed California Math Framework (CMF) and associated UC policy changes would cause harm to "Californian students, and especially on students of color". In addition to over 1500 signatures from other STEM experts, the letter received over 150 signatures from UC STEM faculty, including 3 UC Berkeley directors for Inclusive Practices, Outreach, and Equity & Diversity efforts in Engineering and STEM.[58] Stanford's math department's director of undergraduate studies Brian Conrad wrote an Article for The Atlantic expressing concerns that the proposed CMF risked derailing public school math education to the extent that "only the children of families with resources beyond the public schools" would be able to access adequate high school preparation for successful STEM degrees.[59] After several delays,[60] a revised Framework was approved in July 2023 by the state Board of Education[61] incorporating changes recommended by WestEd.[49][further explanation needed]

In 2022, Boaler was involved in a public online dispute with Jelani Nelson, a computer science professor at the University of California, Berkeley and an opponent of the 2021 mathematics framework.[13][62][63] After a high school math teacher had tweeted pages of a consulting contract from Oxnard School District’s public website, Nelson had retweeted a page showing $40,000 paid to Boaler for 4 2-hour sessions (plus any preparation).[63] Nelson's retweet criticized charging such fees to "districts with large minority populations" (it was 97% non-white),[13] given Boaler’s role in a recent California math framework draft that he said "states improving math learning for black students as central motivation and has 0 black authors."[63] Boaler then sent Nelson an email accusing him of "spreading misinformation and harassing me online" and stating that "the sharing of private details about me on social media yesterday is now being taken up by police and lawyers."[63] Nelson posted a screenshot of Boaler's email[63] and wrote that "Black people disagreeing with you on Twitter is not a crime."[13] Boaler told reporters she had not intended her mention of police to be "perceived as a threat,"[62][63] and said authorities had instead been contacted about Boaler's home address appearing on a different tweeted page of the Oxnard-website contract, not retweeted by Nelson.[13] Boaler also said she had received threats following Nelson's tweets.[62] She later tweeted that Nelson was "the black male professor" who "very cleverly changed my request to meet into a claim of racism".[13]

In March 2024, an anonymous complaint was sent to Stanford University's dean of research alleging Boaler had violated the research policies of the University.[64] As with the earlier complaint from 2006, the University reviewed the complaint and decided the matter did not warrant an investigation, stating "the allegations reflect scholarly disagreement and interpretation".[65] Boaler responded to this with an article published by Threo and the American Association of University Professors Journal: Academe, about the attempts to suppress her work and research that focuses on equitable approaches to mathematics instruction.[66][67]

Awards and honors

  • 1999 National Science Foundation Early Career Award[68]
  • 2014 NCSM (National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics) Kay Gilliland Equity Award[69]
  • 2016 The California Mathematics Council Walter Denham Memorial Award for Leadership[70]
  • 2019 The Nomellini–Olivier Endowed Chair and Nomellini & Olivier Professor of Education (Mathematics)[71][2][72]
  • 2022 Honorary doctorate degree from the Open University[73]
  • 2024 Ranked first in curriculum, instruction, and administration by the RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings[74]
  • Named by the BBC as one of eight educators "changing the face of education"[75][76]
  • Elected fellow of the Royal Society of Arts[77]

Publications

Books

  • Boaler, J. (1997) Experiencing School Mathematics: Teaching Styles, Sex and Setting[78]
  • Boaler, J. (2000) Multiple Perspectives on Mathematics Teaching & Learning[79]
  • Boaler, J (2002) Experiencing School Mathematics: Traditional and Reform Approaches to Teaching and their Impact on Student Learning[80]
  • Boaler, J & Humphreys, C (2005) Connecting Mathematical Ideas: Middle School Cases of Teaching & Learning[81]
  • Boaler, J (2015) What’s Math Got to do With It? How Teachers and Parents Can Transform Mathematics Learning and Inspire Success[82][28]
  • Boaler (2019). Limitless Mind. Learn, Lead and Live without Barriers[83][8]
  • Boaler, J., Munson, J., & Williams, C. (2017-2022) K-8 Book Series. Mindset Mathematics: Visualizing and Investigating Big ideas[84][9]
  • Boaler, J. (2022) The Elephant in the Classroom[85][10]
  • Boaler, J. (2024) Math-ish: Finding Creativity, Diversity, and Meaning in Mathematics[86][12]

See also

  • Math wars – Debate over modern mathematics education, textbooks and curricula in the U.S.

Notes

  1. ^ "Boaler, Jo, 1964-". Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress; Linked Data Service; LC Name Authority File. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b c GSE News 2019.
  3. ^ Boaler 2002. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFBoaler2002 (help)
  4. ^ Stanford 2012.
  5. ^ "Jo Boaler | Stanford GSE". ed.stanford.edu. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d "Our Team". youcubed. Stanford Graduate School of Education.
  7. ^ a b "A different way to learn, think and grow". www.struggly.com. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  8. ^ a b Boaler 2019. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFBoaler2019 (help)
  9. ^ a b Boaler & Dweck 2015.
  10. ^ a b c Boaler 2010.
  11. ^ a b Boaler 2009.
  12. ^ a b "Math-ish". Math-ish. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Lee 2023.
  14. ^ a b Scott 2018.
  15. ^ a b c d "Jo Boaler". Stanford Profiles. Stanford University. n.d. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  16. ^ Stanford, Peter (12 April 2013). "Why Haverstock School is no longer the Eton of the left". The Daily Telegraph. London. p. 25. Retrieved 14 February 2025 – via Newspapers.com. Prof Jo Boaler, a professor in maths education at Stanford University in California, recalls taking her first teaching job at Haverstock in the mid-1980s.
  17. ^ "Jo Boaler's Profile | Stanford Profiles". profiles.stanford.edu. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  18. ^ "Jo Boaler". Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education. n.d. Archived from the original on 11 December 2015.
  19. ^ Boaler 1997. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFBoaler1997 (help)
  20. ^ NSF 2000.
  21. ^ Boaler, Jo; Staples, Megan (2005). "Transforming Students' Lives through an Equitable Mathematics Approach: The Case of Railside School" (PDF). preprint. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013.
  22. ^ a b Boaler & Staples 2008.
  23. ^ a b Bishop, Clopton & Milgram 2012.
  24. ^ a b c Jaschik 2012.
  25. ^ Boaler 2023.
  26. ^ Bishop & Milgram 2012.
  27. ^ Milgram 2012.
  28. ^ a b "Prof Jo Boaler". University of Sussex. n.d. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011.
  29. ^ Boaler 2012a.
  30. ^ Boaler 2013b.
  31. ^ Benn 2011.
  32. ^ Boaler 2005.
  33. ^ Rushowy 2013.
  34. ^ Boaler 2013a.
  35. ^ Johnston 2014.
  36. ^ Stanford 2013.
  37. ^ "Our Mission". youcubed. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  38. ^ a b Sawchuk 2018.
  39. ^ Barshay 2015.
  40. ^ a b "Stanford women's basketball players teach kids data science through sports". news.stanford.edu. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  41. ^ "Basketball Data Analytics Unit- In Partnership with Stanford Women's Basketball". YouCubed. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  42. ^ a b "Celebrating 10 years of youcubed!". us3.campaign-archive.com. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  43. ^ Antonick, Gary (26 September 2016). "Lines and Squares". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  44. ^ "Red Dot Design Award: STRUGGLY App – A Different Way to Learn, Think and Grow". www.red-dot.org. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  45. ^ "Struggly". The Webby Awards. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  46. ^ Byrom, Lizzy (5 March 2024). "SXSW EDU 2024 Launch Startup Competition Winners Announced". SXSW EDU. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  47. ^ "Struggly, the math platform from Boggl Inc. and denkwerk, wins at dda 23". www.denkwerk.com. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  48. ^ Hong 2021.
  49. ^ a b Fensterwald 2023.
  50. ^ Aleksey 2022.
  51. ^ a b "Mathematics Framework - Mathematics (CA Dept of Education)". www.cde.ca.gov. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  52. ^ a b c Schwartz, Sarah (13 July 2023). "California Adopts Controversial New Math Framework. Here's What's in It". Education Week. ISSN 0277-4232. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  53. ^ Reich 2024.
  54. ^ Into the Classroom: Resources and Ideas for New Educators. California Teachers Association. 18 August 2021. p. 14.
  55. ^ "Shared Statement on the Adoption of the 2023 Mathematics Framework". EdTrust West. 25 July 2023.
  56. ^ Fortin 2021.
  57. ^ Blume & Watanabe 2023.
  58. ^ Harmon, Amy (13 July 2023). "In California, a Math Problem: Does Data Science = Algebra II?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  59. ^ Conrad, Brian (2 October 2023). "California's Math Misadventure Is About to Go National". The Atlantic. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  60. ^ Fensterwald 2022.
  61. ^ Miolene 2023.
  62. ^ a b c Tucker 2022.
  63. ^ a b c d e f Ting, Eric (7 April 2022). "Stanford prof called 'Professor Karen' over email speaks out". SFGate. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  64. ^ Lee 2024.
  65. ^ Reich 2024b.
  66. ^ Boaler, Jo (April 2024). "The Silencing of Research". Thrēo.
  67. ^ Boaler, Jo (Fall 2024). "The Silencing of Research". Academe. 110 (4).
  68. ^ "Jo Boaler's Profile | Stanford Profiles". profiles.stanford.edu. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  69. ^ "Kay Gilliland Gallery of Awardees". NCSM. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  70. ^ "Walter Denham Memorial Award". California Mathematics Council. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  71. ^ "Carnegie Announces the Ken Olivier and Angela Nomellini Chair". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 23 May 2017. Archived from the original on 20 December 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  72. ^ "Three Stanford education professors appointed to endowed chairs". Stanford University Graduate School of Education. 20 June 2019.
  73. ^ "The Open University". www5.open.ac.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  74. ^ Hess, Rick (5 January 2024). "2024 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence: Top 10 Lists". Education Week. ISSN 0277-4232. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  75. ^ Bowen, Janine (5 August 2021). "Jo Boaler, Chris Emdin Discuss Helping Students Defy Limits During 2021 Math Summit". NC State University College of Education News.
  76. ^ "Jo Boaler". HarperCollins. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  77. ^ "Jo Boaler". Student Experience Research Network. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  78. ^ Boaler, Jo (1 October 1997). Experiencing School Mathematics: Teaching Styles, Sex and Setting. Buckingham, England: Open University Press. ISBN 978-0335199624.
  79. ^ Boaler, Jo (30 July 2000). Multiple Perspectives on Mathematics Teaching and Learning. Praeger. ISBN 978-1567505344.
  80. ^ Boaler, Jo (18 December 2002). Experiencing School Mathematics: Traditional and Reform Approaches To Teaching and Their Impact on Student Learning. Routledge. ISBN 978-0805840049.
  81. ^ Boaler, Jo; Humphreys, Cathlee (24 March 2005). Connecting Mathematical Ideas: Middle School Video Cases to Support Teaching and Learning. Heinemann. ISBN 978-0325006703.
  82. ^ Boaler, Jo (28 April 2015). What's Math Got to Do with It?: How Teachers and Parents Can Transform Mathematics Learning and Inspire Success. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0143128298.
  83. ^ Boaler, Jo (3 September 2019). Limitless Mind: Learn, Lead, and Live Without Barriers. HarperOne.
  84. ^ "Mindset Mathematics | Subjects | Wiley". www.wiley.com. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  85. ^ Boaler, Jo (7 April 2022). The Elephant in the Classroom. Souvenir Press. ISBN 978-1788169349.
  86. ^ Boaler, Jo (7 May 2024). Math-ish: Finding Creativity, Diversity, and Meaning in Mathematics. HarperOne.

References

Further reading

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