Listen to this articleIt is known that Chinese students tend to do better in Maths than students from other countries. Students in China can easily solve a Maths problem that may prove difficult to students from other countries, and they study maths knowledge much faster and more efficiently in school, even other countries’ Maths exam papers can be a piece of cake fora them. This article will introduce why Chinese students are so good at Maths.
China has a long tradition of excelling in mathematics. Mathematics education has a long history in China, and many modern mathematical concepts and methods originated from ancient China. The Chinese value skills such as the abacus and rapid calculation, and this cultural influence has continued to today. The Chinese mathematics curriculum is set up in a scientific and systematic way. From primary school to high school, mathematics is a compulsory course with the amplest class hours of all courses. The curriculum covers all branches of mathematics in a scientific sequence based on difficulty, enabling students to gradually build up a solid mathematical mindset and knowledge framework.
Mathematics education in China focuses on fundamentals and practice. Primary education emphasizes proficiency with numbers and four basic operations, memorizing and understanding basic formulas and theorems. Abundant assignments also strengthen understanding and application. These cultivate Chinese students’ solid mathematical foundations and computational skills, and China’s mathematics competitions and award systems are well developed. There are many mathematics competitions at all levels in China with high participation. These inspire students’ interest and potential in learning mathematics. Various awards also enable excellent mathematical learning to become a way of increasing value and standing out, playing an important role in cultivating mathematical talents.
Family and social environments also offer support. Chinese culture values education, and parents also attach importance to children’s mathematics learning and grades. The social environment generally respects science and technology talents, enabling many students to regard improving at mathematics as an important path to changing their destiny and improving their worth. This let Chinese students have a rigorous attitude towards studying. Chinese students have a hardworking and perfectionist attitude towards learning. In a logical and precise discipline like mathematics, this attitude is particularly important and can achieve twice the results with half the effort.
Thus, Chinese students excel in mathematics, thanks to the combined effects of many factors such as the education system, learning environment, and attitude. This has also led to the phenomenon of Chinese students becoming one of the top “mathematical nations” in the world and the factors that have led to Chinese students’ proficiency in math could benefit maths education on a global scale.
