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Which country's students are the best problem solvers

patriotic Khan

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Children in Asian countries are on average better problem solvers than their European and American peers, according to a new study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
In 2012 the organization tested more than 85,000 15-year-olds in 44 countries and economies on their problem solving skills, testing their ability to explore limitations or obstacles and to understand information given to them.
While Singapore, Japan, China and Korea were among the top-performing economies, the United States scored just above the average and Russia and Israel lagged behind with lower-than-average scores.
The OECD says ability to crack complex problems is key to the economic success in the future.
"Today's 15-year-olds with poor problem-solving skills will become tomorrow's adults struggling to find or keep a good job," said Andreas Schleicher, acting director of education and skills at the OECD.
The problems in the test were designed to be similar to those faced by many workers in every day situations -- such as using an unfamiliar mobile phone or a ticket-vending machine.
The report says one in 10 workers faces such hurdles every day. But the skills become even more important in the sectors that drive developed economies -- highly skilled managerial and technical occupations.
The pupils were also asked to consider situations involving a number of alternatives and constraints to make a decision -- for example choosing the right pain killer given sufficient details about the patient, their complaints and the available pain killers.
In another parts, students had to solve scheduling problems for projects such as building a house or generating a flight schedule for an airline.
One question asked the children to plan a seating plan for a birthday party according to the wishes of the individual party guests.Top 25 in problem solving
1. Singapore
2. Korea
3. Japan
4. China*
5. Canada
6. Australia
7. Finland
8. United Kingdom
9. Estonia
10. France
11. Netherlands
12. Italy
13. Czech Republic
14. Germany
15. United States
16. Belgium
OECD Average
17. Austria
18. Norway
19. Ireland
20. Denmark
21. Portugal
22. Sweden
23. Russian Federation
24. Slovak Republic
25. Poland

The results suggested that one in five students in the OECD countries is only able to solve "very straightforward problems -- if any -- provided they refer to familiar situations, such as choosing from a catalog of furniture, showing different brands and prices, the cheapest models to furnish a room."
But the same students failed when put in new situations and asked to solve unfamiliar problems.
The report says this is a consequence of education focused on various sets of rules, such as the rules of algebra. While algebra is important, the reports points out that in real world, applying the rules of mathematics is only the second part of finding a solution to a problem.
"The first step -- the step computers can't do -- involves examining the messy set of facts in a real-world problem to determine which set of algebraic rules to apply," it says.
To avoid turning pupils into robots governed by a strict set of rules, teachers should encourage their students to think about skills they learned in one class -- such as reading and mathematics, and apply them when trying to solve a problem in biology or history.
 
This test only tested their cognitive abilities. The title is misleading, But interesting test.

BTW this was from the PISA test and India, Pakistan, BD, SL, Nepal etc .. did not participate. The test was only for students of 36 nations.

OECD member countries:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom (UK), United States (USA).

oecd_a2_1-2013.png
 
problem solving doesn't mean anything when majority of modern inventions are from european countries. let me know when china is back to is former glory when it was the largest economy and major invention contributor in the world.
 
problem solving doesn't mean anything when majority of modern inventions are from european countries. let me know when china is back to is former glory when it was the largest economy and major invention contributor in the world.

That is one way to look at it.
 
This test only tested their cognitive abilities. The title is misleading, But interesting test.

BTW this was from the PISA test and India, Pakistan, BD, SL, Nepal etc .. did not participate. The test was only for students of 36 nations.

OECD member countries:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom (UK), United States (USA).

Problem solving skill is part of your cognitive abilities.

India participated before but pulled out after coming in second last.
 
Problem solving skill is part of your cognitive abilities.

India participated before but pulled out after coming in second last.

India is not part of OECD member countries, so why should it participate ? That is just plain stupid.

and yes, Rule defined problem solving is part of your cognitive abilities. Who said otherwise ?
 
Problem solving skill is part of your cognitive abilities.
India participated before but pulled out after coming in second last.

Proof?

Or is it just another random notion you pooped out this morning?
 
India is not part of OECD member countries, so why should it participate ? That is just plain stupid.

and yes, Rule defined problem solving is part of your cognitive abilities. Who said otherwise ?

It is open to all countries. Singapore, China, taiwan, Vietnam and a few more.. .are all non-OECD countries, but participated.

You.
Proof?

Or is it just another random notion you pooped out this morning?

Indian students rank 2nd last in global test - The Times of India
India chickens out of international students assessment programme again - The Times of India
 
It is open to all countries. Singapore, China, taiwan, Vietnam and a few more.. .are all non-OECD countries, but participated.
You.

Where is the result for the non OECD countries ? the results are only for OECD counties.

I said only cognitive abilities are measured in these tests. Do you have comprehension issues ?
 
I take that back. My bad.

Kids from rural area of TN once participated in PISA test, in case of China the kids participated were from affluent families of Shanghai where they spend too much on education and all those kids were approved by Chinese communist party and by this Chinese proved that they are best in the world. :omghaha::omghaha:
 
Kids from rural area of TN once participated in PISA test, in case of China the kids participated were from affluent families of Shanghai where they spend too much on education and all those kids were approved by Chinese communist party and by this Chinese proved that they are best in the world.


Ah that explains it. I wonder what would happen if we sent like even the bottom 2% of out IIT aspirants. The naysayers would be in for a massive shock.
 
Ah that explains it. I wonder what would happen if we sent like even the bottom 2% of out IIT aspirants. The naysayers would be in for a massive shock.

Here is the more detail.

PISA's China Problem | Brookings Institution

According to the Rural Education Action Program (REAP) at Stanford University, high school attendance rates are as low as 40 percent in poor, rural areas of China. The dropout rate runs as high as 25 percent in middle schools. The schools are often run down and poorly staffed. Classrooms packed with 130 students have been reported. Children must often work to help provide for their families, and secondary school fees (high schools charge tuition) are too high for many parents. It is clear that the student sample sitting for PISA is not representative of rural Chinese youth as a whole, but hails only from families strongly committed to formal education and able to afford the tuitions and fees of high school.

And, once again, do not forget that the provinces with PISA test scores were not selected randomly; they were those approved for participation by the Chinese government. All of these elements undermine the representativeness of the PISA scores.


According to deputy principal and director of the International Division at Peking University High School, Jiang Xuegin:

Shanghai parents will annually spend on average of 6,000 yuan on English and math tutors and 9,600 yuan on weekend activities, such as tennis and piano. During the high school years, annual tutoring costs shoot up to 30,000 yuan and the cost of activities doubles to 19,200 yuan.

The typical Chinese worker cannot afford such vast sums. Consider this: at the high school level, the total expenses for tutoring and weekend activities in Shanghai exceed what the average Chinese worker makes in a year (about 42,000 yuan or $6,861).



Anyway, Since I wrote this, I am expecting attacks from Chinese to refute this. :laugh:
 
which
Here is the more detail.

PISA's China Problem | Brookings Institution

According to the Rural Education Action Program (REAP) at Stanford University, high school attendance rates are as low as 40 percent in poor, rural areas of China. The dropout rate runs as high as 25 percent in middle schools. The schools are often run down and poorly staffed. Classrooms packed with 130 students have been reported. Children must often work to help provide for their families, and secondary school fees (high schools charge tuition) are too high for many parents. It is clear that the student sample sitting for PISA is not representative of rural Chinese youth as a whole, but hails only from families strongly committed to formal education and able to afford the tuitions and fees of high school.

And, once again, do not forget that the provinces with PISA test scores were not selected randomly; they were those approved for participation by the Chinese government. All of these elements undermine the representativeness of the PISA scores.

According to deputy principal and director of the International Division at Peking University High School, Jiang Xuegin:

Shanghai parents will annually spend on average of 6,000 yuan on English and math tutors and 9,600 yuan on weekend activities, such as tennis and piano. During the high school years, annual tutoring costs shoot up to 30,000 yuan and the cost of activities doubles to 19,200 yuan.

The typical Chinese worker cannot afford such vast sums. Consider this: at the high school level, the total expenses for tutoring and weekend activities in Shanghai exceed what the average Chinese worker makes in a year (about 42,000 yuan or $6,861).



Anyway, Since I wrote this, I am expecting attacks from Chinese to refute this. :laugh:

which explains why shanghai consistently rank in the middle in the annual chinese college entrance exam? when other provinces much poorer consistently outrank shanghai in college entrance exam?
 

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