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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support the later stages where there is difficult content can promote pupils’
understanding of the selected curriculum content. The Ministry suggests that the
reduction of the curriculum content can promote pupils’ intrinsic motivation by allowing
time for pupils to find what they would like to try to do or achieve in a more relaxed
learning schedule.

The Ministry also believes that the learning environment can impact on pupils’ affective
attitudes towards mathematics learning. Firstly, the Ministry (1999) refers to appropriate
evaluation systems in mathematics classes. The Ministry suggests that criterion-
evaluation, self-evaluation and evaluations between peers, which emphasise pupils’
learning processes and effort, can provide pupils with a sense of being accepted,
positively valued and individually supported, and develop a sense of efficacy, and
opportunities to learn from each other in a class. Such evaluation is believed to promote
favourable attitudes towards mathematics learning more than strict normative evaluation,
which focuses on measuring pupils’ levels of knowledge and skills.

The Ministry also refers to the effects on pupils’ affective attitudes of building up good
relationships between teachers and pupils and between pupils in mathematics classes.
The Ministry suggests that teachers should attempt to build good relationships in class
and have a deep understanding of the individual child, in order to reduce pupils’ anxiety.
The Curriculum Council (1998), which was set up by the Ministry of Education to advise
on the current curriculum reform, stated that teachers should develop a classroom ethos
which allowed pupils to share their difficulties frankly and accept each other’s mistakes
and difficulties, and to provide children with a sense of security in learning. The council
pointed out that pupils’ enjoyment and motivation would be promoted if they had a sense
of security within the classroom. Thus, the Ministry of Education in Japan also believes
that reducing the curriculum content, the avoidance of strict normative evaluation, and
building up good relationships in the classroom can promote pupils’ favourable affective
attitudes towards mathematics learning.

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