Running head: MATHEMATICAL LEARNING METHODS

Difference of Mathematical Learning Methods between

Chinese and American High School Students
Interview Report
Yifan Wei
Purdue University

Author Note
Yifan Wei, freshman, Department of Mathematics, Purdue University
The report was supported by Kyongsong Park, Zachary Letterhos and Curtis
Servaas.
Correspondence of this article should be addressed to Yifan Wei, Department of
Mathematics, West Lafayette, IN 47907.
Contact: wei164@purdue.edu

Abstract
This interview report explores two interviewees feedback. The two interviewees

MATHEMATICAL LEARNING METHODS

are Mr. Letterhos and Mr. Servaas. This interview report was about interviewees
mathematical learning methods and their mathematical learning experience when they
were in their high schools. Their viewpoints about the difference of mathematical
learning methods between Chinese and American high school students will appear in
the article. Their comments on how international students from China learn
mathematics and their feeling about these international students were recorded in this
interview report. This paper will summary the two interviewees feedbacks and
conclude their standpoints. This report will become important reference data which
can support the essay, which will be written in the future, on the topic Difference of
Mathematical Learning Methods between Chinese and American High School
Students.
Keywordsmathematical learning methods, high school, interview

Difference of Mathematical Learning Methods between

Chinese and American High School Students
Interview Report
As a student who is interested in figuring out the difference of mathematical
learning methods between Chinese and American high school students, I prepared two
interviews with two people. The first person I interviewed was Zachary Letterhos. Mr.

MATHEMATICAL LEARNING METHODS

Letterhos is not only a teaching assistant of MA162 course (calculus II) but also a
graduate student at Purdue University. I know him after I attended his MA162
recitations. He graduated from New Mexico University with the degree Bachelor of
Science in both Pure Mathematics and Psychology. Mr. Letterhos is good at
mathematics and he has his own opinion on the topic I choose. Because of this, I
chose Mr. Letterhos as my first interviewee. The second person I interviewed was
Curtis Servaas. Mr. Servaas is an undergraduate student whose major is computer
science at Purdue University. I know him because he is my current roommate. He will
graduate in the spring 2015 semester. Mr. Servaas also has a good command of
mathematics when he was in high school. I thought his mathematical learning
experience would be helpful so I chose him as my second interviewee.
Interview Report
Interview with Zachary Letterhos
I met with Mr. Letterhos at the office 603 of Math Building on February 27,
2015. Before starting the interview, I discussed a problem about the number theory
with Mr. Letterhos. He was glad to answer the question I asked. After the discussion, I
started the interview with the question How did you study mathematics in your high
school? Mr. Letterhos said that he used to do a lot of mathematical exercises when he
was in high school and he extremely preferred this method. But he added that he did a
lot of mathematical exercises with several approaches such as using the function
graph or using the algebra theory, instead of just finding the answers. After finishing
the exercises, he would discuss those mathematical exercises that he solved with his
classmates to figure out whether there had other strategies to solve the problems.
However, Mr. Letterhos said that international students from China were
different from native students. Though most of the international students from China

MATHEMATICAL LEARNING METHODS

performed better than native students in mathematical learning, especially in getting

high scores in exams, those international students from China did not have interest in
finding multiple approaches to solve the problems. These students focused more on
finding a general way to solve similar problems. Their learning methods also included
doing a lot of mathematical exercises, but they just wanted to get the answer. I felt
that they have no creativity. Mr. Letterhos said.
I mentioned that high school students in China did a lot of exercises when they
learned new mathematical knowledge. And it was true that most high school students
in China just wanted to find the answers of mathematical exercises. It seemed like
these international students from China remained their old learning methods which
they got from Chinese high school. Mr. Letterhos pointed out that it was good for high
school students to have and keep their own learning methods even their study
environment was changed. But high school students need to improve their learning
methods if their methods could not help students get a good command of the
knowledge that they learned. It was also important for students to develop appropriate
mathematical learning methods because these learning methods will influence
students value and the way they think.
After the interview, I discussed some knowledge about the complex analyses
with Mr. Letterhos. He encouraged me to take complex analyses course in the future.
When it came to abstract algebra, Mr. Letterhos said that when he was undergraduate
student, he directly studied the abstract algebra course instead of taking abstract
algebras basic courses in advance. Until now, he said, the period he took the abstract
course was the most marvelous period when he was undergraduate student.
Interview with Curtis Servaas
Mr. Servass is my current roommate so I interviewed him in our dormitory. I

MATHEMATICAL LEARNING METHODS

asked Mr. Servass how he studied mathematical knowledge when he was in high
school. He said that he loved to prove the theory and formula that they learned rather
than doing a lot of mathematical exercises. However, he only used this method when
he was learning the courses in which he was interested. When learning other courses
which he thought was bored, he would just finish the homework assigned by their
math teacher. He mentioned that when he did assignments, he just wanted to figure
out the answers. He found that the attitude of international students from China to the
assignments was same as him. But, these students never proved the theory and
formula that they learned, or thought the theory and formula deeply. What those
international students focused on was finding a general way to solve similar
mathematical problems. He thought that these students were not creative but these
students could solve mathematical problems fast.
Conclusion
Mathematical learning methods are important because they help us learn
mathematics. Most international students from China, who were once high school
students in China, have same mathematical learning methods with high school
students in China. So these two groups are equivalent. International students from
China focus more on finding the solution of exercises and developing a general way
to solve similar problems. By comparison, American students put more emphasis on
how to have a good command of the new knowledge that they learn. Their methods
can be proving the theory and formula that they learn, fining different approaches to
solve mathematical problems, and other methods. Chinese high school students can
solve mathematical exercises faster than American high school students but American
high school students think that Chinese high school students are not creative. Both
high school students in China and America should develop appropriate mathematical

MATHEMATICAL LEARNING METHODS

learning methods which can help them get a good command of the mathematical
knowledge they learn.

References
Letterhos, Z. (2015, February 27). Mathematical Learning Methods. Personal
interview.
Servass, C. (2015, February 28). Mathematical Learning Methods. Personal
interview.