An informal mathematical education project aimed at contrasting early school leaving: Potential and criticality

High student dropout rates are a common phenomenon in the suburbs of many metropolises, even in high-income countries such as Italy. Although the factors prompting students to take this course of action are numerous, there is a need for research in mathematics education to address this phenomenon as well. An attempt can be made through informal mathematics education, as explained by the design research project focusing on students in grades 4−7 described in this work. Herein, I reflect on the potential of informal mathematics education in preventing student attrition, before presenting a case study to identify the weaknesses of a teaching experiment in terms of lack of democratic dialogue needed for the creation of a meaningful and accessible educational environment.