Mind the math gap

Indian children who need to work to earn money are better at mental mathematics than those who don't, Noble Laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo have found. In a recent collaborative study (bit.ly/Arithmetic-skill), the economists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U.S., emphasised the importance of bridging the gap between formal mathematics teaching in Indian classrooms and innate learning.

The researchers, who have been studying urban children in Indian cities for over a decade now, found that those who are deft in market maths struggle in schools where maths is taught with abstract symbols. Non-working children, on the other hand, are better at handling hypothetical mathematical problems. Baffled by this, Banerjee and Duflo discussed their concerns with Elizabeth S. Spelke, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, and invited her to work with them.

In an interview with Shaastra, Spelke explains that there may be two possible explanations for this problem, though neither has empirical support. First, market-working children might see no need to learn formal maths in school because they already solve similar problems effectively in real life. Since they can calculate mentally, they may not feel motivated to learn written symbols and algorithms.

The second possibility relates to social learning. Children learn best from people they feel connected to, such as family members. Younger children start by observing and participating in small ways, gradually developing skills in a familiar, collaborative environment. In contrast, schools emphasise individual learning and repetitive practice, which may not align with how these children naturally acquire knowledge.

Does that imply formal mathematics instruction is ineffective at conveying concepts? According to the study, schoolchildren find abstract symbols challenging to understand, but working children gain from understanding real-world applications of maths. The researchers say it may be advantageous to bring the two groups together in real-world contexts so that schoolchildren can experience maths in authentic settings, and working children may recognise the benefits of symbolic maths.
 
They recommend that schools focus on active learning, such as games-based mathematics. The researchers, who worked with non-governmental organisations facilitating government schools with games and tools for teaching mathematics, observed a favourable shift in arithmetic learning when children's fear factor became a fun factor.

Biophysicist Gautam Basu, who is not connected with the study, says that games and real-life activities can be an effective mode of education. "Active learning techniques could play a pivotal role in implementing the new National Education Policy," says the former Professor at the Bose Institute in Kolkata, who teaches underprivileged children with the help of unconventional learning methods.