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

14

through interaction. The results of TIMSS showed that 71% of mathematics teachers
involved in teaching 9^th graders in Japanese schools have as the goal of mathematics
classes the promotion of pupils’ mathematical thinking such as the exploration of
concepts, understanding them and finding several solutions to one problem. Only
approximately three out of ten mathematics teachers give their goal as mastering and
using formulas appropriately. In this sense, Japanese teachers do not adopt a
transmission style of teaching in whole-class sessions. Fujii (1992) commented that this
finding reflected the transition in the aim of mathematics education to emphasising the
development of pupils’ mathematical thinking which had occurred over three decades
after FIMS in 1964.

Teachers attempt to develop pupils’ inductive thinking (Stevenson, et al., 1992a). The
mentioned above problem-solving teaching method is an example of the teaching
methods to develop pupils’ mathematical thinking in classes. Japanese teachers use
questions to encourage pupils to explain their thinking, especially in relation to new
material or novel solutions to problems, and en∞urage them to know other peers’ views
of their solutions (Stigler, 1998). Lessons consist of verbal explanations made by either
students or the teacher, while rapid successions of short questions and answers are
discouraged (Stevenson et al., 1992a). The percentage of total words spoken during this
public discourse, the average length of the public conversations engaged in by students
and teachers in terms of number of words, and the time devoted to one-to-one
interaction are much higher in Japanese than in American classrooms (Stigler, 1998).

Lessons proceed at a slow pace and provide ample time to think (Stevenson et al.,
1992a). Japanese teachers employ statements which hurry students, remind them of the
time and redirect pupils’ attention much less than American teachers (Tsuchida et al,
1998). Japanese teachers have been observed to be very successful in placing lessons
in a meaningful context (Stevenson, et al., 1995). Teachers provide both conceptual and
procedural information frequently, and pupils are encouraged to relate concrete
problems and abstract principles. Word problems are frequently adopted, and pupils are
encouraged to resolve problems by using alternative approaches (Lee et al., 1998).
Evaluations by peers are encouraged. Instruction, practice and evaluations are adopted
effectively in whole-class sessions (Lee et al., 1998). Making an error is relatively calmly

14

<<   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   >>

More intriguing information