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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difficulties at both grades, although the correlation was stronger at 8^th grade. The degree
of teachers’ reported attempts to improve pupils’ cohesiveness was positively correlated
with the degree of their reported attempts to improve their pupils’ satisfaction and their
reported attempts to reduce their pupils’ difficulties at 5^th grade. These correlations were
not found at 8^th grade which suggests that 8^th grade teachers do not tend to believe that
cohesiveness in mathematics classes is linked to pupils’ satisfaction or reduction of
difficulties (see Table 7.3.5).

Table 7.3.5: Correlation between five factors of classroom ethos, among the teachers’

responses

Teachers’ perceptions of classroom ethos and their perceptions of teaching
methods

Teachers were divided into two groups in terms of their perceptions of classroom ethos.
Their perceptions of the effects and deployment of particular teaching methods were
compared between groups, using an Independent t-test. Firstly, the way that teacher
participants were divided into two groups is explained.

Satisfaction - Most teachers expressed high to moderate levels of attempting to improve
pupils’ satisfaction in mathematics classes, although the percentage of teachers who
scored higher marks was greater at 5^th than 8^th grade. The mean scores for improving
pupils’ satisfaction at 5^th grade was 3.63 (SD=. 85, median = 4.00). 5^th grade teachers
were divided into those who scored at least 4 (58.1%) or below 4 (41.9%). The mean
s∞res for improving satisfaction of 8^th grade teachers was 3.28 (SD=. 93, median =
3.00). 8^th grade teachers were divided into those who scored at least 4 (40.0%) or below
4 (60%).

Cohesiveness - Most teachers expressed moderate levels of attempting to improve
cohesiveness in the classroom, although the percentage of teachers scoring high marks

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