In more complicated math questions, students schooled in China out-distanced the other two groups. Chinese nationals answered 58 percent more problems than the white students and 33 percent more than the Chinese-Canadians. The biggest difference between the three groups seems to have been how often the students relied on calculators to help them in class and on homework. Students from China rarely used them, and their mental muscles got a good workout as a result, say the researchers. Other factors that may have played a part were cultural, including family support, stress on achievement and extracurricular instruction, the researchers say.
Complex math puts a heavy load on short-term memory.
It's a demanding task. American math educators defend electronic tools, saying students should strike a balance between calculators and mental math. A calculator should be a tool, not a crutch, says Lee V. Stiff, professor of mathematics education at North Carolina State University and president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Stiff says he has examined math education in the People's Republic of China and found a dearth of calculators, mostly because of a problem in supply, not demand. While Campbell says he's not suggesting students toss the hand-held tools, he says it wouldn't hurt to do a little more math in their heads.