However, the same children, the greater part of whom were 14 or 15 years old, struggled to solve much more simple school mathematical problems, such as the main division. (After making purchases, undercover buyers revealed their identity and asked the sellers to participate in the study and complete a set of abstract mathematical exercises.)
The sellers on the market had a formal education. Most attend a part -time school or have been at school for years.
Duflo does not know how young street sellers have learned to calculate so quickly in their heads. This would take longer anthropological study to monitor them over time. But Dufflo managed to gather some of their strategies, such as rounding. For example, instead of multiplying 490 to 20, street sellers can multiply 500 by 20 and then remove 10 out of 20 or 200. using an algorithm for multiplication. They often do not see a more effective way to solve a problem.
The lessons of this study on the other side of the world may be relevant here in the United States. Some cognitive psychologists theoretize that learning mathematics in the real world context can help children absorb abstract mathematics and apply it in different situations. However, this Indian survey shows that this type of knowledge transfer will probably not happen automatically or easily for most students. Teachers need to figure out how to use better mathematical skills that students already have, Dufflo said. It is easier to say than it was done, I suspect.
Duflo says her research is not an argument for either applied or abstract mathematics. “It would be a mistake to conclude that we need to move on to just specific problems, because we also see that children who are extremely good at specific problems are not able to solve an abstract problem,” she said. “And in life, at least in school life, you will need both.” Many market children eventually fall out of school.
Returning to my neighborhood farm, I remember magically catching him and rarely needed a pencil and paper in a few months. Unfortunately, the hall for the hall is no longer there so that children can practice mental mathematics. It has already been replaced by a suburban division of fantastic houses.
This story about Applied mathematics was written by Jill Barchay and produced by Hachinger’s reportNon -profit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Point and others Hachinger BulletinsS
