Why does practice make perfect?

In this video, Professor Fan explains why practice is such an important element of Asian maths pedagogy.

In Asian mathematics classrooms, particularly in China, teachers usually believe that practice makes perfect. They view practice as a general principle for mathematics teaching and learning. ‘Practice makes perfect’ is the underlying belief behind their teaching methods, which emphasise the importance of adequate routine or manipulative practice in students’ learning of mathematics. Through imitation and repetitive practice, students will become highly skilled.

In implementing this principle, two words are relevant, one is ‘familiarity’ and the other is ‘variation’:

• Familiarity: Practice is for students to be familiar with and be proficient at mathematics concepts and skills.

• Variation: Practice is for students to broaden their experience and understanding of the concepts and skills.