252
5th graders who felt happy with teacher praise based on individual improvement
perceived a greater frequency of deployment of all teaching methods except for Using a
computer. 5th graders who felt happy with teacher praise for being better than others
perceived more frequent deployment of teacher explanation and individualised teaching
methods. 8th graders’ appreciation of teacher praise affected the perceived frequency of
deployment of different teaching methods except for Using a computer. No significant
difference was found in the perceived frequency of Practical work and Group discussion
between 8th graders who felt happy with teacher praise based on better results than
others and those who did not.
Those who felt happy with teacher praise perceived to a great extent that their affective
attitudes towards mathematics learning were promoted by all teaching methods at both
grades. Of these, Using a computer was the teaching method, least affected by
appreciation of teacher praise at 5th grade. No significant difference was found between
enjoyment promoted by Whole-class discussion and sense of progress promoted by
Individual work between 5th graders who appreciated teacher praise based on better
results than others and those who did not.
8th graders’ enjoyment promoted by some teaching methods was less affected by their
appreciation of teacher praise than other aspects of affective attitudes. 8th graders’
appreciation of teacher praise based on better results than others did not affect their
enjoyment promoted by Practical work. Their appreciation of teacher praise based on
more effort than others did not affect their enjoyment promoted by Reading a textbook.
Their appreciation of teacher praise based on more effort than before did not affect their
enjoyment promoted by Individual work (see Table 7.4.8).
252