Running head: MATHEMATICAL LEARNING METHODS

Difference of Mathematical Learning Methods between

Chinese and American High School Students
Synthesis Paper
ENGL 106I
March 30, 2015
Yifan Wei
Purdue University

Author Note
Yifan Wei, freshman, Department of Mathematics, Purdue University
The report was supported by Kyongsong Park
Correspondence of this article should be addressed to Yifan Wei, Department of
Mathematics, West Lafayette, IN 47907.
Contact: wei164@purdue.edu

Difference of Mathematical Learning Methods between

Chinese and American High School Students

MATHEMATICAL LEARNING METHODS

Synthesis Paper
Introduction
Nowadays, many Chinese high school students chose to study abroad in America
to finish theirs high school education. When they studied mathematics, these
international students from China found that American high school students
mathematical learning methods were different from Chinese high school students
mathematical learning methods. The mathematical learning methods that American
high school students used contained thinking the mathematical knowledge deeply and
finding multiple approaches to solve mathematical problems. The mathematical
learning methods that Chinese high school students used could be developing general
ways to solve similar mathematical exercises. Mathematical learning methods were
ways which could help high school students in both China and America learn
mathematics knowledge. Figuring out the difference of mathematical learning
methods between Chinese and American high school students, and what causes the
difference could help those international students determine which mathematical
learning methods they should choose if they study in America. I read three published
articles related to the theme that I chose. These three articles developd their
viewpoints respectively.

Synthesis Paper
Andrew J. Fuligni and Harold W. Stevenson, from the University of Michigan,
conducted a survey titled Time Use and Mathematics Achievement among American,
Chinese, and Japanese High School Students. Their data clearly showed that Chinese
high school students were assigned by their teachers to spend much more time in
school than American high school students with 50 hours and 36 hours a week

MATHEMATICAL LEARNING METHODS

respectively (p834). Further, Chinese high school students, as assigned by their

parents, attended after-school classes and academic activities, such as Olympic
Mathematics, instead of socializing with their friends in their leisure time. Conversely,
American high school students loved to participate in sports activities, such as
basketball, and entertainments such as watching movies (p836-837). Fuligni and
Stevenson (1995) said When we asked students specifically about mathematics,
Chinese students reported spending significantly more time studying mathematics
than the Japanese and Americans. When comparing the scores high school students
got in the math exams, Chinese high school students performed far better than
American high school students. Fuligni and Stevenson (1995) supported that time
spending was positively related to the students scores, while the time spent working,
watching television, and being with friends were negatively related. Summarily,
spending excessive time on mathematics was one kind of learning methods which
could help high school students in both American and China perform well in
mathematical learning.
Chinese high school students were assigned to spend a lot of time studying
mathematics. But why did Chinese high school students tend to obey what their
teachers and parents said?
Beside discussing the time use of studying mathematics, Harold W. Stevenson
also released another article titled Motivation and Mathematics Achievement: A
Comparative Study of Asian -American, Caucasian -American, and East Asian High
School Students with Chuansheng Chen who came from University of California,
Irvine. In this article, Stevenson and Chen (1995) pointed out that the background and
culture difference extremely influenced childrens development of mathematical
learning methods. Stevenson and Chen (1995) said Confucian doctrine, which has

MATHEMATICAL LEARNING METHODS

had a pervasive influence in East Asia, emphasizes the malleability of human

behavior and the importance of effort as the route to accomplishment. Confucian
doctrine represented traditional Chinese values such as obeying their parents and
teachers. In China, children were taught to obey the instruction of their parents and
teachers at an early age. When children grew up and were admitted into high school,
they still held the belief that they should listen to their teachers and parents. Because
of this phenomenon, most Chinese high school students gained most of their
mathematical learning methods from their teachers by practicing obedience to
authorities and expressing few complaints. As already mentioned, Chinese high
school students were assigned by their teacher to spend a lot of time studying
mathematics. However, American high school students, with different backgrounds
than Chinese high school students, did not hold the same belief as Chinese high
school students and experienced freedom to choose their preferred mathematical
learning methods while studying mathematics (p1123-1124).
Another two researchers, whose name were Jian Wang and Emily Lin, disagreed
with the viewpoints that Confucian doctrine extremely influenced Chinese high
school students mathematical learning methods. Wang and Lin (2005) pointed out
that Chinese high school students had expectation of scores that they got in the math
exams. In China, if high school students wanted to be admitted into good university,
they were expected to receive high scores in college entrance examination (CEE).
Mathematics score made up a large part of total score of CEE. Chinese math teachers
taught students the mathematical learning methods that could help students improve
their scores in math exams. So students tended to obey what their teachers said in
order to perform well in math exams. Whats more, the number of Chinese high
school students who attended CEE was tremendously quantitative, which was about 7

MATHEMATICAL LEARNING METHODS

million each year. By comparison, the number of American high school students who
attended Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) each year was only 1.5 million. With the
extremely academic pressure and competition, Chinese high school students had no
choice but to listen to their teacher to remain competitive with their peers. On the
other hand, the high school teachers in China put more emphases on teaching students
the skills of finding answers of mathematical problems and how to respond to
mathematical exercises rapidly. So Chinese high school students developed
mathematical learning methods which could help them figure out answers of
mathematics exercises quickly instead of helping them get deeper understanding of
the mathematical knowledge that they learned (p6-7). In America, high school
students and teachers did not focus as much on the score that students got in the
exams. Students could choose their favorite way to learn mathematics. Though
American high school students did not perform better in mathematical exams than
Chinese high school students, American high school students received profound
understanding of the mathematical knowledge that they learned (p8-10).
Conclusion
The view of Stevenson and Fuligni about the difference about mathematical
learning methods between Chinese and American high school students was that
Chinese high school students were assigned by their teacher to spend much more time
studying mathematics than American high school students. Stevenson, with his
partner Chen, also held that Confucian doctrine extremely influenced Chinese high
school students mathematical learning methods. That was, Chinese high school
students preferred to listen to their teachers while American high school students
preferred to study by themselves. Jian Wang and Emily Lin thought that, though
Chinese high school students preferred to listen to their teachers and parents,

MATHEMATICAL LEARNING METHODS

Confucian doctrine had little influence. They supported that Chinese high school
students high expectation for high scores that they got in the math exams, and the
number of high school students who attended the CEE every year were more
influential factors. The mathematical learning methods of Chinese high school
students helped them solve mathematical exercises quickly, while the mathematical
learning methods of American high school students helped them get profound
understanding of the knowledge that they learned. These three articles helped show
the difference of mathematical learning methods between Chinese and American high
school students, and what caused the difference.

MATHEMATICAL LEARNING METHODS

References
Chen, C., & Stevenson, H. W. (1995). Motivation and mathematics achievement: A
comparative study of AsianAmerican, CaucasianAmerican, and East Asian high
school students. Child Development, 66(4), 1215-1234
Fuligni, A. J., & Stevenson, H. W. (1995). Time use and mathematics achievement
among American, Chinese, and Japanese high school students. Child
Development, 66(3), 830-842
Wang, J., & Lin, E. (2005). Comparative studies on US and Chinese mathematics
learning and the implications for standards-based mathematics teaching reform.
Educational researcher, 34(5), 3-13