Chinese  students  rank  in  first  place  among  65  members  and  partners   countries  in  PISA(Programme  for  Interna>onal  Student  Assessment)  tests.
Besides,  many  researchers  have  found  that  Chinese  students  outperform
USA  students  in  calcula>on.  The  current  research  project  aimed  to  find  out
the  reasons  for  those  differences  between  Chinese  and  American  students.
The  project  involved  research  into  the  effects  of  language,  teachers’   tutoring  methods,  parental  influence  and  found  that  in-­‐school  factors   including  teachers’  teaching  methods  and  textbooks  play  a  role  in  students’   calcula>on  skills.  It  examined  the  difference  between  first  year  Chinese  and
American  textbooks  through  a  content  analysis.
The  results  show  1)    differences  in  the  two  textbooks  including   different  representa>on  forms  for  math  concepts  and  different  numbers  of   exercises  for  some  topics  and  2)  similari>es  including  some  of  the  same   topics  covered  and  similar  types  of  exercises  given  to  students.  The  study
shows  Chinese  teachers  1)  have  a  bePer  understanding  of  basic  math   concepts,  2)  emphasize  basic  knowledge  for  building  students’  solid  basis   for  future  learning  3)  enhance  Chinese  students’  understanding  of   calcula>on  and  4)  provides  students  with  a  coherent  learning  process.
Ø   PISA  refers  to  Programme  for  Interna>onal  Student
Assessment
Ø   Test  on  Reading,  Science  and  Mathema>cs
Ø   USA  36  VS  CHINA  1
Ø   Visualized  (Primary  School)
Ø   Abstract(Primary  School)
Ø   Intui>ve  thinking    (Zhang  and  Zhou  290)
Ø   Chinese  children  not  only  solved  problems  effec>vely,   they  also  solved  them  rapidly.  (Stevenson  1057)
Ø   “In  first  grade,  Chinese  students  calculate  nearly  three
>mes  as  fast  as  as  the  American  students.”(Stevenson
1057)
Ø   Parental  Influence  or  Home  Influence  (Tanase  4)   q   Parental  Expecta>on  &  Aqtudes    (Stevenson  et  al.  1063)   q   Teaching  Strategies,  mo>va>ons  (Tanase    3)
Ø   Language,  numeral  naming  system  (Zhang  and  Zhou  288)
Ø   Children’  Aqtudes    (Stevenson  et  al.  1062)
Ø   Instructors’  Knowledge  (Tanase  2)
Ø   Teaches’  Aqtudes  (Stevenson  et  al.)
Ø   Instruc>onal  Strategies  (Tanase  3)
Ø   Curriculum  (Tanase  4)
Ø   Instructors’  tutoring  methods  help  students  enhance  calcula>on  skills
(Davis  Sue)
Ø   Build  Confidence  about  their  own  calcula>on  abili>es  (Davis  Sue)
Ø   Limited  understanding  of  content  knowledge  of  the  U.S.  elementary   teachers  (Ma)
Ø   Chinese  teachers  Possessed  Coherent  and  a  procedural  and  a  conceptual   understanding  of  the  concepts.  while  that  of  the  American  teachers  was   fragmented.  (Ma)
Ø   83%  US  teachers  just  focus  on  commuta>ng  process  compared  with  only   over  85%  of  Chinese  ones  would  like  to    interpret  the  concepts  of
Regrouping  (Subtrac>on  Teaching)  (Ma)
Ø    Chinese  math  teaching  emphasis  on  basic  knowledge  and  basic   skills(Lianghuo  et  al.)
Ø   9%  of  USA  VS  34%  of  Chinese  teachers  think  math  is  an  important  subject
Ø   32%  VS  61%    like  teaching  math  and  25%  VS  46%  think  they  are  skilled  at   teaching  mathema>cs  (Stevenson  et  al.  1065)
60
223
188
194
320
150
160
278
150
Ø   Lecture  Time:  90  Minutes  per  day;  Five  days  per  week.
Ø   Introduc>on  of  Topics:  15  minutes  to  30  minutes
Ø   In-­‐class  exercise:  15  minutes  to  30  minutes
Ø   Homework:  None
Ø   Direct  Math  Problem  VS  Word  Problem:  Word  Problem  is  much   more  difficult  for  scholars
Ø   Mental  Calcula>on  Training:  Yes
Ø   Lecture  Time:  90  Minutes  per  day;  Five  days  per  week.
Ø   Introduc>on  of  Topics:  :  15  minutes  to  30  minutes
Ø   In-­‐class  exercise:  15  minutes  to  30  minutes
Ø   Homework:  Yes,  less  than  1  hour  to  finish.
Ø   Direct  Math  Problem  VS  Word  Problem:  No  dis>nct  difference
Ø   Mental  Calcula>on  Training:  Yes
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