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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• Competencies indicated pupils’ high competencies in mathematics, such as
comprehensive ability or high skills in computation. This contrasted with Ability which
indicated natural innate capabilities, for instance, ‘Individuals have different innate
capacities such as ‘DNA’. On the other hand, competencies indicated nurture, e.g.
‘Accumulated competencies from their early years’.

The majority of teachers of both age groups (58.5% at 5^th grade, 66.7% at 8^th grade)
attributed their pupils’ being good at mathematics to effort, competencies or a
combination of these elements. Teachers thought competencies in mathematics were
learned based on accumulated effort as explained above. Slightly less than one tenth of
teachers from both age groups gave ability-based attributions. Approximately one eighth
of 5^th grade teachers attributed their pupils’ being good at mathematics to Interest, while
only one 8^th grade teacher gave this attribution (see Table 7.2.4).

Table 7.2.5: Teachers’ attributions of their pupils’ success in mathematics

Summary of 7.2

There were differences in pupils’ attribution style according to their age and perceived
mathematics performance. Many pupils attributed their success in mathematics learning
to effort, support from the teacher and support at home, irrespective of their age. For
pupils with these attributional styles, Teacher explanation and Reading a textbook were
favoured teaching methods, atlhough preference for Reading a textbook enhanced from
support from home to support from the teacher as pupils proceeded through the grades.
5^th graders with these attributional styles favoured Whole-class discussion and Group
discussion as well. In contrast, pupils attributing success to support from the teacher
disliked Individual work at both grades, although where 8^th graders believed that one’s
own effort was important Individual work was valued.

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