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

their pupils felt anxiety about learning mathematics, and suggested that this anxiety
might hinder their mathematics attainment. However, not many teachers were willing to
deal with such pupil feelings (Robitaille, 1992).

Overall the evidence suggests that Japanese students, especially in junior high schools,
show negative attitudes towards learning mathematics due to extrinsic motivation, an
ability-based attribution style, decreased value for mathematics learning and decreased
outcome expectancy of success in mathematics learning. They also have reduced
confidence in mathematics learning. While teachers appear to attempt to promote pupils’
competence in, and positive affective attitudes towards, mathematics learning, their
belief that performance outcomes and enjoyment in mathematics learning are separable,
and their relative lack of concern for pupils’ affective attitudes, may have negative effects
on pupils’ affective attitudes towards mathematics learning.

1.4: Widening the range of teaching methods deployed in mathematics classes

The Ministry of Education in Japan (1999) wishes to improve pupils’ affective attitudes
towards mathematics learning, and widening the range of teaching methods deployed in
mathematics classes will be one of the measures to achieve this. Japanese teachers are
reported to be eclectic in their approach to teaching mathematics (National Institute for
Educational Research, 1997). For instance, teachers introduce several activities on the
same topic to stimulate pupils’ motivation and promote their understanding (Stevenson
et al., 1992, Lee et al. 1998, Stigler, 1998). Some adopt short, frequent periods of
seatwork and whole-class sessions alternatively (Stevenson et al., 1992). Some adopt
co-operative work and a whole-class focus alternatively (Tsuchida et al, 1998).

The Ministry gives several reasons for teachers adopting a diversity of teaching methods
in mathematics classes; firstly, this can promote pupils’ understanding of the content,
and in turn, their sense of progress and motivation. The Ministry describes such a sense
of progress as ‘intellectual growth’ and ‘intellectual satisfaction’ and believes that it
becomes more important for junior high school students who have developed logical and
abstract mathematical thinking. The Ministry believes that reducing pupils’ experiences
of difficulties in learning mathematics can ensure that pupils feel security in mathematics
learning. Secondly, the adoption of various organisational styles in mathematics classes

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