Chapter 7: Real Life Appliation and Skills Retention

One of the main differences noted by Boaler(2002) in terms of the mathematics learning of the students from Amber Hill and Phoenix Park  is the transfer of knowledge from the school setting to real life situations.  The students from Amber Hill “indicated that they saw little use for the mathematics they learned in school in out-of-school situations” (Boaler, 2002, p. 120).  Whereas the Phoenix Park students “did not regard the mathematics they learned in school as inherently different from the mathematics of the real world” (Boaler, 2002, p. 118).  This would lead us to believe that the project based approach used by the Phoenix Park teachers allows math to become more relevant for the students in real world applications.

A study on problem-based learning by Miller (2004) also yielded a similar result.  Her students reported a new found confidence in their abilities to be able to solve a problem independently after completing the projects provided by the teacher.  In addition, she found that students were able to apply solutions to different problems that could occur in the workplace (Miller, 2004, p. 586).

Another conclusion that Boaler (2002) found from her investigation was the length of time that the students retained their mathematical skills and knowledge.  The students at Amber Hill were reported to have forgotten their procedures over a short period of time.  Whereas, Phoenix Park students were reported to “answer questions correctly 6 months after their lessons” (Boaler, 2002, p.114).  Without a doubt this is due to the method of learning that these students experienced.  Cherry (2011) reported that “by establishing relationships between new ideas and previously existing memories, you can dramatically increase the likelihood of recalling the recently learned information.”  When school problems are related to students’ lives they are more likely to remember new techniques they have learned.  Miller (2004) also states that problem-based learning achieves one of Dewey’s outcomes; the student is able to apply the knowledge long after it has been learned for the class. 

References:

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

Cherry, K. (2011). Top 10 Memory Improvement Tips: Improve Your Memory With These Great Tips. Retrieved, Nov. 7, 2011 from http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/tp/memory_tips.htm

Miller, J. S. (2004). Problem-Based Learning in Organizational Behavior Class: Solving Students' Real Problems, Journal of Management Education, 28, 578-590.