Elsevier

International Journal of Educational Research

Nurturing factors that promote mathematics achievement in Mainland China

Abstract

Thirty-five Olympians (33 males and 2 females) and their parents participated in this study. The instruments consisted of Olympians'/Parents' Questionnaires, Self-confidence and attitude attribute Scales, and the Inventory of Parental Influence. The main results were as follows. Most of the Olympians came from intellectual families (both parents occupied high-status positions and had high levels of education). Most of the families had one or two children (25.7% were the only child in the family). Most Olympians studied in key middle schools and received instruction from teachers with excellent math backgrounds; more than half were enrolled in gifted classes in high schools. Most of the Olympians graduated from senior high school at the age of 17 or 18 and all had the highest grades ("excellent") in mathematics and most had "excellent/good" report card grades in all school subjects; however, they had few chances to learn to use computers. Most of the Olympians credit the Math Olympiad program with promoting the development of their math potential and producing positive changes in learning attitudes as well.

Section snippets

Zha Zixiu graduated from Jinling University (Najing, China). Her research interests include development psychology and the study of gifted children. She is the Director of the Center for Gifted Children at the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Leader of the Supernormal Children's Cooperative Research Group of China. Her contribution to research concerning Chinese gifted children has won her numerous awards. She is the author or co-author of 9 books and more than 60

References (5)

  • The origin and development of the Math Olympiad

    Modern Special Education

    (1995)
  • Tao Xiaoyong et al.

    Training competitors for IMO in Mainland China — Importance of school, family and society

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (1)

Zha Zixiu graduated from Jinling University (Najing, China). Her research interests include development psychology and the study of gifted children. She is the Director of the Center for Gifted Children at the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Leader of the Supernormal Children's Cooperative Research Group of China. Her contribution to research concerning Chinese gifted children has won her numerous awards. She is the author or co-author of 9 books and more than 60 research papers and articles.

Liu Pengzhi graduated from the Faculty of Mathematics, Beijing Institute of Education. She is a Vice-Principal of the high school attached to the People's University of China and the Principal of Hua Luogeng School. She is a senior math teacher and a senior coach for the National Math Olympiad. She has authored numerous school-level text books and reference books in mathematics.

Tao Xiaoyong graduated from the Faculty of Mathematics, Beijing Capital Normal University. He is an Associate Professor in the Mathematical Faculty of the Beijing Institute of Education. He is also the Secretary General of the Beijing Mathematical Olympiad Development Center, Deputy Department Head of the Secondary Education Committee in the Beijing Mathematical Society, and a senior coach for the National Math Olympiad training squad. He is the author of several Chinese junior college-level math texts and competition math reference books.

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