Comparing Students Perceptions of

Mathematics Learning and School

Experience Between
River Hill High School in Maryland and
Ritan High School in Beijing
Larry Qiu
Junior
River Hill High School
April 2016
1

What Rank is the United States in

Mathematics Globally?
Top
Top
Top
Top

10?
20?
30?
40?

Background of PISA
Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is the
most popular international student assessment in the
world that assesses 15-year-old students knowledge and
skills in mathematics literacy, reading literacy, and science
literacy
About 70 countries participated in PISA 2012 including the
U.S.
The PISA 2012 results showed that the U.S. students fell
behind students from other developed countries especially
in math.

Pisa and My Study?

 In the United States, 9% of 15-year-old students scored

at the top proficiency level (level 5 or above) in math,
while 55% of their peers in Shanghai performed at the
level. The average math score in Shanghai was 613
and 481 in the United States.

What is my research and some background

Why is there such a large achievement gap between the
two countries?
Three major components of mathematics achievement
for students
Students perception of their teachers
Students perception of their school
Students perception of how they learn their mathematics
material

Compare and contrast similarities and differences in the

three major components of mathematics achievement, I
wish to find out where the US can improve upon its
educational system.

Instrument, Sample and Data

collection
PISA 2012 Student Questionnaire (English and Chinese) was used
Uploaded the questionnaire onto the website at
https://www.quia.com/
Junior students (15-16 years old) participatedRHHS: 76; Ritan:
67
Time was 30 minutes on computer
Ritan Students Completed the Questionnaire during lunch in the
computer lab
River Hill Students Completed the questionnaire during math
class or at home online
8

Analysis
Use Excel to run frequency on the questions for each
school
Performed a T-Test (Google Sheets) to determine which
questions contained significant differences of the
students perceptions between the two schools
Selected and categorized the significant items to
summarize the results

Sample: Age Distribution of

Participants in each school
RHHS:76; Ritan:67
60

53
50
45
40

30

28

20

10

10
2

1
0

14

2
15

16
River Hill

2
17

Ritan

10

Your Math Experience How often do these things

happen in your math class? 1=Every Class 2=Most classes
3=Some classes 4=Never or hardly ever
97.0

100

Teacher Prom otes Students' Engagem ent In Math Class

95.5

90

83.6

80
70
61.8
60

56.6

50

46.1

40
30
20
10
0

River Hill

Ritan

11

How often do these things happen in your mathematics

classes? 1=Every class 2=Most classes 3=Some classes
4=Never or hardly ever
Teachers' Use of Different Strategies To Foster Students Math Learning
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

55.3

97.0

92.5

91.1

63.2
50.0

43.3
17.1

River Hill

Ritan

12

Your Math Experience

Teachers role of teaching mathematics
Ritan students reported their teachers play more positive and active
roles in students math learning than the students at RHH (e.g. show
interest, give extra help when needed, continue teaching until
students understand, give students an opportunity to express
opinions)
Higher percentage of students in Ritan reported good behaviors of
their teachers teaching in math than the students did in RHH.
e.g. set clear goals for their learning, check if students understand
what was taught, gave more feed back on their strengths and
weaknesses, more often on how they could improve, and updated
students on how well they were doing in mathematics class
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About your school Thinking about the mathematics teacher

who taught your last math class: to what extent do you agree
with the following statements?
1=Strongly agree 2=Agree 3=Disagree 4=Strongly disagree

Thinking about the teachers at your school: to what extent do you agree with the following statements? 1=Strongly agree 2=Agree 3=Disagree 4=Strongly Disagree
100.0

97.0

95.5

90.0
80.0

75.0

73.7

70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0

Students get along well with most teachers.

Most teachers are interested in students' well-being.

River Hill Ritan

14

Suppose that you are a student in the following situation: Each week, your math
teacher gives a short quiz. Recently you have done badly on these quizzes. Today
you are trying to figure out why. How likely are you to have these thoughts or
feelings in this situation? 1=very likely 2=Likely 3=Slightly likely 4=Not at all
likely

Students' Perception of Their Teachers Teaching Very likely or Likely

100
90
80
70
60

56.6
50.0

50
40
30

26.9

23.9

20
10
0

My teacher did not explain the concepts well this week.

The teacher did not get students interested in the material.

River Hill

Ritan

15

About your school Thinking about the mathematics teacher who

taught your last math class: to what extent do you agree with the
following statements?
1=Strongly agree 2=Agree 3=Disagree 4=Strongly disagree
Thinking about the teachers at your school: to what extent do you agree with the following statements? 1=Strongly agree 2=Agree 3=Disagree 4=Strongly Disagree
97.0

100.0

95.5

90.0
80.0

82.9

80.3

70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0

If I need extra help, I will receive it from my teachers.

Most of my teachers treat me fairly.

River Hill Ritan

16

Students perception of their Relationship with Teachers

Students in Ritan (over 96%) have a more positive
perception of teacher-student relations than the
students in RHH (about 76%) (e.g. get along well with
teacher, interested in students well-being, receive extra
help if needed, most of the teachers treat them fairly,
listen to what the students have to say)
More students in RHHS than Ritan would blame their
teachers for not being able to get a good math score in
test (e.g. do not teach the concept clearly, or not make
the math interesting )
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About Learning Math Thinking about studying math: to

what extent do you agree with the following statements?
1=Strongly agree 2=Agree 3=Disagree 4=Strongly disagree
Students Math Anxiety: Strongly agree or Agree
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

71.1

26.3

35.8

67.2
37.3
15.8

River Hill

35.8

34.3

46.1

14.5

Ritan

18

About Learning Math Thinking about your views on

mathematics: to what extent do you agree with the following
statements?
1=Strongly agree 2=Agree 3=Disagree 4=Strongly disagree

Thinking about your views on mathematics: to what extent do you agree with the following statements? 1=Strongly agree 2=Agree 3=Disagree 4=Strongly Disagree
100.0
90.0

88.2
83.6

81.6

80.0
71.6
70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0

My parents believe it's important for me to study mathematics.

My parents believe that mathematics is important for my career.

River Hill Ritan

19

About Learning Math

Students self-beliefs in learning mathematics
River Hill students responded that they had higher
convictions that they can successfully perform given
academic tasks related to mathematics. River Hill
students feel like they get better grades in
mathematics, feel less nervous about mathematics, and
feel less helpless in mathematics compared to students
at Ritan.

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