Taiwanese fourth and eighth graders rank among the world’s best in science and mathematics and achieved on average markedly better grades last year than in 2003, but at the same time generally have a negative view of the subjects or do not feel confident in them, the National Science Council (NSC) said yesterday.
When asked whether low confidence among students in those subjects could be a result of being taught concepts too advanced for their age, National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) mathematics professor Lin Fou-lai (林福來) conceded that this “could be a potential concern ... We are indeed teaching [certain] materials to our students at younger ages compared with other countries.”
Citing the 2007 Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2007), conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), NTNU Science Education Center director Chang Chun-yen (張俊彥) said Taiwan’s fourth graders ranked second and third among 37 countries in terms of their achievements in science and mathematics respectively.
The nation’s eighth graders ranked second and first among 50 countries in the two subjects, Chang said.
Four other Asian countries — Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan — also ranked exceptionally well.
“Compared to TIMSS 2003, our fourth graders have made significant progress in both subjects, while eighth graders did better in mathematics than in 2003 ... Eighth graders did worse in science, however, compared with four years ago,” he said.
Despite their exceptional skills in math and science, the nation’s fourth graders ranked 36 and 23 respectively out of 37 countries in terms of positive attitudes toward the subjects, while eighth graders ranked 39 and 28 respectively out of 50 countries in terms of their confidence in the subjects.
When asked whether the education system’s strong emphasis on exams might have contributed to the high achievement level and low interest level, Lin said: “Yes, the tests may have driven the performance.”
Tests are part of Taiwan’s educational culture, he said, but some countries don’t make elementary school students take tests.
“Another part of our culture is that while Western parents tend to praise their children for, say, scoring 90 percent on a test, Eastern parents tend to ask: ‘Where did the other 10 percent go?’”
Responding to comments that although the US did not rank high in any of the categories, US scientists were highly successful and innovative, Lin said: “One factor is that with a strong economy the US can attract top scientists from all over the world ... Also, US universities are much more open, while you cannot teach innovation with tests.”
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese