Are Asians Better At Math?

Are Asians better at math? It might not be a politically correct question, but anyone who has been teaching math for a while will have encountered it – at least if they’ve been teaching with their eyes open!

Top students in math are “often” of Chinese origin. Studies comparing overall math performance of school students show that English-speaking Western countries are falling behind European countries and the more developed Asian countries. It might not be politically correct to think about these questions, but it’s stupid not to think about them. Is this a real phenomenon? Is it important? And what should we do about it? Can we get answers based on evidence, rather than supposition or heresay? Continue reading Are Asians Better At Math?