Frederick K.S. Leung, a specialist in the study of comparative mathematical education, said in Beijing Tuesday that East Asian students excel in mathematics, according to a latest survey of 38 countries and regions.
Leung is the chief researcher in Hong Kong's Third International Mathematics and Science Study-Repeat (TIMSS-R). There were only students from five East Asian regions and countries, namely Singapore, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Chinese Taipei, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and Japan, participating in the TIMSS-R.
The scores of students from these regions and countries in the recent math contest were far higher than those of students from West Europe and North America in grade eight mathematics, Leung said in an interview with Xinhua.
And, American students lagged behind as a matter of fact, and Chinese mainland students did not participate, he added.
Leung said East Asia's success mainly lies in its emphasis on the scholar-teacher, which means that the teacher has to be an expert or learned figure in his subject.
"East Asian regions share the Confucian culture in which the image of the scholar-teacher is deeply rooted," he noted.
In terms of elementary mathematical knowledge, East Asian teachers have more knowledge than their American counterparts, and Chinese teachers, in particular, are the most competent, he quoted another survey on teachers as saying.
"So, Chinese mathematical education would probably have topped the world had Chinese mainland students taken part in the TIMSS-R," Leung said.
(Xinhua News Agency August 28, 2002)
