MIT Study in India Finds Kids Excel at Workplace Maths, Struggle in School
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A new study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States has revealed that Indian children working in retail settings demonstrate exceptional mathematical abilities in real-world transactions but struggle with formal school-based maths problems.
The study, led by MIT economists Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee, analysed the mathematical skills of Indian students engaged in retail jobs. It found that these children performed quick and accurate calculations in market transactions but underperformed when faced with abstract classroom problems. Conversely, school-going children who did not work showed proficiency in solving textbook maths but struggled with market-based calculations.
“For the school kids, they do worse when you go from an abstract problem to a concrete problem. For the market kids, it’s the opposite,” said Duflo. Banerjee added, “The kids with jobs underperform in school despite being extraordinarily good at mental maths. That, for me, was always the revelation.”
The research was conducted in three phases. The first study, involving 201 children in Kolkata markets, found that working kids excelled in transactional maths. A second study on 400 market-working children in Delhi showed similar results. In the final study on 200 children, only 10% of non-working students could solve real-world market problems.
“Finding a way to bridge the gap between informal and formal maths learning could significantly benefit Indian students,” said an MIT statement.
The researchers highlight that India’s strict school curriculum and rigid teaching methods may contribute to this learning divide. “We don’t want to blame teachers. It’s not their fault. They are given a strict curriculum to follow,” Duflo noted.
The study raises important questions about the effectiveness of traditional classroom education in India and the need to integrate real-world problem-solving skills into school curricula.
Source: SHIKSHA
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