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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Table 4.2.8: Perceptions of pupils’ affective attitudes towards mathematics learning as
promoted by Group discussion

Summary of 4.2

Teaching methods were overall perceived to promote the four attitudinal aspects to
different extents, except in the case of Whole-class discussion and Group discussion
where the differences were small. Teachers appeared to adopt teaching methods which
promoted pupils’ sense of security and sense of progress rather than enjoyment and
motivation. Teacher explanation, Individual work, Individual help and Reading a textbook
fit this category. Pupils of both age groups shared their teachers’ view of these methods.
Generally, teachers did not adopt, or adopted very infrequently if at all, other methods
because they did not perceive these could promote sense of security and sense of
progress more than enjoyment and motivation. Teachers and pupils shared the view that
Using a computer could promote enjoyment and motivation more than sense of security
and sense of progress. Pupils, particularly 5^th graders, perceived that Practical work and
discussion could promote sense of progress more than other attitudes, while teachers
believed that this teaching method could promote enjoyment and motivation more than
sense of security and sense of progress.

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