Why Do Chinese-Australian Students Outperform Their Australian Peers in Mathematics: A Comparative Case Study

Abstract

International comparative studies and cross-cultural studies of mathematics achievement indicate that Chinese students (whether living in or outside China) consistently outperform their Western counterparts. This study shows that the gap between Chinese-Australian and other Australian students is best explained by differences in motivation to achieve, attributing success to effort, the influence of parental help and the use of extra mathematics curricula. The argument explored is, in order to promote students' mathematics achievement, we must improve the pedagogical knowledge of classroom teachers of mathematics, as well as to encourage parents' involvement in the mathematics education of their children and to promote students' motivation to learn mathematics.

Chinese Australians’ Chineseness and their mathematics achievement: the role of habitus

“…Hehehe… These idiosyncratic Chinese thinking and doing are an effect of the habitus laid down in the body of these participants through (hypothetical) parental inculcation and family socialisation, which help to maintain and transmit habitus of Chineseness across generations, at least to a certain extent. These participants' accounts are consonant with the findings from some empirical studies associated with Chinese parents' more positive attitudes and greater support for their children's mathematics learning (Chen and Stevenson 1995;Dahlin and Watkins 2000;Zhao and Singh 2011). As such, mathematics learning becomes an adventure to reproduce the habitus of Chineseness in the next generation and even generations further removed.…”

“…These US studies are supported by the Australian research. Chinese Australian primary school students were more successful than their Caucasian peers in mathematics (Zhao et al 2006;Zhao and Singh 2011).…”

“…According to the empirical evidence, individual learners differ in their mathematics achievement due to their attitude (Chen and Stevenson 1995;Stevenson et al 1993;Zhao and Singh 2011), native language characteristics (Han and Ginsburg 2001;Li and Nuttall 2001;Li et al 1999;Miura 1988), and time devoted to mathematics in and after-hour schools as well as at home (Chen and Stevenson 1995;Stevenson et al 1990). These studies emphasise that learners' commitment to mathematics can make a difference.…”

“…Achievement difference can also be attributed to teachers' mathematical knowledge as well as their time spent on mathematics instructions in class, use of outcome/ content-based teaching, and de/centralised classroom organisation (Leung 1995;Perry et al 2006;Perry 2000;Stigler and Hiebert 1999;Stigler and Perry 1988;Zhao et al 2006). In addition, parents' educational and socioeconomic backgrounds (Blair and Qian 1998;Chen and Stevenson 1995) and their expectations, standards, satisfaction, and support (Cai 2003;Hess et al 1987;Huntsinger et al 2000;Stevenson et al 1990;Zhao and Singh 2011) also make a difference in children's mathematics achievement. Moreover, the examination-and achievement-orientation in the education system (Leung 1998;Wong et al 2012;Zhao et al 2006), curriculum and textbook contents (Brenner et al 1999;Park and Leung 2006;Stigler et al 1982;Zhao and Singh 2011), as well as the use of repetitive learning and the synthesis of memorisation and understanding (Leung 1999(Leung , 2001Wong et al 2012) all come to shape students' mathematics achievement.…”

“…In addition, parents' educational and socioeconomic backgrounds (Blair and Qian 1998;Chen and Stevenson 1995) and their expectations, standards, satisfaction, and support (Cai 2003;Hess et al 1987;Huntsinger et al 2000;Stevenson et al 1990;Zhao and Singh 2011) also make a difference in children's mathematics achievement. Moreover, the examination-and achievement-orientation in the education system (Leung 1998;Wong et al 2012;Zhao et al 2006), curriculum and textbook contents (Brenner et al 1999;Park and Leung 2006;Stigler et al 1982;Zhao and Singh 2011), as well as the use of repetitive learning and the synthesis of memorisation and understanding (Leung 1999(Leung , 2001Wong et al 2012) all come to shape students' mathematics achievement. In brief, empirical work often attributes mathematics achievement gap to students' commitment and cognition, parents' values and investment, teachers' strategies and knowledge, and educational system and curriculum.…”