5th and 8th grade pupils’ and teachers’ perceptions of the relationships between teaching methods, classroom ethos, and positive affective attitudes towards learning mathematics in Japan

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mathematics learning differently, and that the different teaching methods were deployed
for different amounts of time. No teaching method was agreed or strongly agreed to
promote positive affective attitudes. No teaching method was perceived as always or
nearly always being deployed in classes.

In comparison with their teachers, pupils perceived that Teacher explanation, Individual
work and Individual help were deployed less. Teacher explanation, which was perceived
as frequently deployed in mathematics classes at 5^th grade, appeared to have the least
negative effect on attitudes towards mathematics learning. Individual work, also
frequently deployed, was perceived as negative for promoting enjoyment, and neutral in
relation to other aspects. 5^th graders overall did not perceive that Individual help was
frequently adopted in their classrooms, in contrast with their teachers reporting that they
adopted this method frequently. The pupils perceived this method as neutral in
promoting a sense of progress but negative in promoting other aspects of positive affect.
Overall, 5^th graders did not seem to prefer individualised teaching methods.

Reading a textbook, which was also perceived as being frequently deployed, was
perceived overall as negative in promoting positive attitudes, while Practical work was
perceived as relatively positive, although it was not often deployed. Whole-class
discussion was sometimes deployed and more frequently than Group discussion; this
was ∞mpatible with the teachers’ perceptions. These teaching methods were perceived
as neutral in promoting positive attitudes. Using a Computerwas reported as never being
deployed, although it was perceived as being neutral in promoting positive attitudes.

A wide distribution (1.0<SD) existed in the extent to which affective attitudes were seen
to be promoted by different teaching methods. This suggests that there may be wide
individual differences in pupils’ preferences for different kinds of teaching methods,
although there were some pupils who gave either all high or all low responses to all
teaching methods. As a wide distribution existed in responses regarding the frequency of
the deployment of Whole-class discussion among the perceptions of both teachers and
pupils, this teaching method may be deployed to a different extent amongst teachers.
The distribution in teachers’ perceived frequency of deployment of Teacher explanation,
Individual work and Individual help was relatively small. There was variability in pupils’
perceptions even when overall perceptions of deployment among teachers was similar.

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