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

ABSTRACT

This study investigates teachers’ and pupils’ perceptions of pupils’ enjoyment,
motivation, sense of security and sense of progress in mathematics learning in relation
to their perceptions of eight teaching methods in mathematics classes at 5^th and 8^th
grade in Japanese schools in Tokyo. This study explores whether the attempts of the
education ministry of Japan in its educational reforms of 2002 which suggests the
deployment of a more varied range of teaching methods in mathematics classes will
satisfy pupils’ individual learning style preferences and improve their attitudes towards
learning mathematics. 48 5^th grade teachers and 1479 of their pupils belonging to 28
elementary schools, and 42 8^th grade teachers and 2156 of their pupils belonging to 19
junior high schools took part in the questionnaire survey. 31 teachers were interviewed.

The findings showed that the adoption of various teaching methods may satisfy
individual differences in affective attitudes at both grades. However, teachers’
dichotomised beliefs about the relationship between enjoyment and sense of progress in
mathematics learning, lack of confidence in their teaching skills, and lack of resources
were the main obstacles to deploying recently developed teaching methods at both
grades. The heavily loaded curriculum was also an obstruction particularly at 8^th grade.
To improve pupils’ attitudes towards learning mathematics, teachers should Considerthe
effective deployment of a range of teaching methods, enhancing the classroom
environment, and pupil support, while the Japanese government needs to consider
improving teacher training and resources, developing an appropriate senior high school
entrance examination and textbooks in order to promote the adoption of a diverse range
of teaching methods in mathematics classes. Consideration also has to be given to the
cultural context, because teachers’ and pupils’ perceptions of the teaching methods are
affected by the cultural and historical backgrounds within which education in Japan is
embedded.

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