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Equity, empowerment and different ways of knowing

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Abstract

This paper considers the experiences of two sets of students who attended schools that taught mathematics in completely different ways. One of the schools used a traditional, textbook approach, and the other used an open, project-based approach. The latter approach produced equity between girls and boys whereas the textbook approach prompted many of the girls to under achieve. This paper will consider the experiences of girls and boys who followed the project-based approach, reflect upon the sources of equity within this approach and relate the differences between the two approaches to Gilligan’s notions of “separate” and “connected” knowing.

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Boaler, J. Equity, empowerment and different ways of knowing. Math Ed Res J 9, 325–342 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03217322

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