A farmer owns three types of animals on her farm. All her animals are sheep except three, all are goats except four, and all are horses except five. How many of each animal does the farmer have?

If you felt puzzled by this riddle, you are not alone. The answer is one horse, two goats, and three sheep.

So why does math seem easy for some, while it feels like a struggle for others?

Genetics may play a role, but it is only one part of a bigger puzzle involving biological, psychological, and environmental factors.

Geneticist and mental health doctor Yulia Kovas from the University of London in the UK studies the reasons behind differences in math abilities among individuals.

Kovas conducted a large study involving about ten thousand pairs of identical and fraternal twins from birth, aiming to explore how genetic and environmental factors shape their learning abilities.

She said, “Identical twins are more similar than fraternal twins in every psychological trait we studied, so they are more alike in their ability to solve math problems, which indicates that the home environment does not explain all differences, but genes seem to have a clear contribution.”

Kovas pointed out that during high school and adulthood, genetic components of learning and math ability account for between 50 and 60 percent, adding that “this reinforces the idea of the importance of both genetic and environmental factors.”

Kovas says, “What we are exposed to is also important and must be considered,” explaining that it is not only about the quality of school education or the amount of help with homework, but sometimes random things, like something heard on the radio, can change our interests.

She notes that genetic tendencies may lead some people to be exposed to certain experiences more than others.

Dr. Iro Zenedo-Dervo, a researcher in mathematical cognition at Loughborough University in the UK, adds that although not everyone will become a math expert, the good news is that everyone can improve their abilities.

She explained that there is evidence of the important role our thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and emotions play in developing our arithmetic and mathematical skills, noting that “math anxiety” can affect performance, and those seeking improvement must believe in their ability to do so.

Dr. Iro Zenedo-Dervo said that negative experiences, such as being told a child is bad at math or getting a lower grade than peers in a test, can lead to a “vicious cycle” of anxious thoughts.

She explained that “math anxiety may lead to avoiding the subject, resulting in poor performance, which in turn increases anxiety more and more.”

This anxiety directly affects the working memory, the part responsible for thinking and problem-solving. Dervo said, “What happens is that anxious and negative thoughts occupy a large portion of the working memory, leaving little available to solve the given problem.”

She referred to a study conducted at Loughborough University on children aged nine to ten, aiming to explore the relationship between working memory and math anxiety.

The children were given a two-digit mental arithmetic task, which they had to perform after listening to a set of words they had to retain and recall orally.

The researcher noticed that the performance of children suffering from “math anxiety” was clearly affected compared to others.

Professor Brian Butterworth from University College London works in cognitive neuropsychology, and his research shows that humans have an innate sense of numbers, even among children who have never learned to count.

However, he says this “innate mechanism does not work well for some.”

Dyscalculia is a specific learning disorder related to understanding numbers and quantities. Dr. Butterworth believes it is as common as dyslexia, affecting about five percent of people.

People with dyscalculia struggle with basic arithmetic problems, such as five times eight or six plus sixteen.

Professor Butterworth and his team developed a game to help children improve their basic arithmetic skills, especially those with dyscalculia. However, he clarified that it is still unclear whether these interventions have a long-term effect.

He added, “What we need is early intervention and to monitor the development of these children over the next few years.”

Dr. Iro Zenedo-Dervo raises a crucial question: What makes mathematics different from other subjects?

Zenedo-Dervo compares learning math to building a “mental brick wall,” where the student needs a solid foundation to progress to a higher level.

She said, “In math, you really cannot skip or omit any brick. For example, you might not know a certain stage in history, and that is not a big problem, but in math, you cannot do that.”

Dr. Yulia Kovas refers to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), launched in the early 2000s to evaluate education systems worldwide by testing 15-year-old students’ skills in math, reading, and science.

China ranked among the top countries in education according to an international survey conducted in the first decade of the 21st century.

Dr. Yulia Kovas said, “At the top of international rankings were Chinese students and some other East Asian countries, alongside Finland, which was described as a European paradox for being among the group of Asian countries excelling in this field.”

So, is there anything to learn from countries that perform well in mathematics?

Jingjin Miao, assistant professor of math education at Jiangxi University in China, explains that education in China focuses on “basic knowledge, basic skills, basic mathematical experiences, and basic mathematical thinking.”

She adds that teachers in China enjoy great respect in society, and they are not required to teach more than one or two classes a day, giving them enough time to prepare lessons carefully.

Meanwhile, Pekka Räsänen, professor of economic sociology at the University of Turku in Finland, points out that Finland’s math education system also focuses on basics. He says, “The main philosophy of the Finnish education system is to ensure mastery of basic skills for all students.”

Räsänen adds that teachers in Finland undergo five years of academic training, and the number of applicants to study education exceeds available seats by ten times due to the high status of teachers in society.

However, as Kovas emphasizes, “Differences between countries show the complexity of this issue, and success is not linked to a single factor but to the interaction of a whole system of policies, values, and educational practices.”