Mathematical calculation ability of primary school children: A comparative study between Ghana and China

Abstract

The study explored the development characteristics of primary school children’s calculation ability in Ghana and China and compared the differences between the two countries. Participants included 128 pupils from primary schools in Shaoxing City of China (female = 46.88%; mean age = 8.89 years, SD = 1.33 years), and 100 pupils from primary schools in Accra city of Ghana (female = 49%; mean age = 8.33 years, SD = 1.88 years). The children completed the 50-item Basic Arithmetic Tasks test of calculation fluency and accuracy. Results show that calculation fluency scores had a significant interaction effect between grade and country. There were significant differences between Ghana and China in calculation accuracy scores of different grades, with Chinese students scoring higher. We speculate differences in the cultural instruction setting to explain these findings, in that Chinese students may have more support from teachers and parents in their mathematics learning.