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8.3.2: The educational significance of the findings for 8th grade teachers
8th grade teachers need to adopt a broad range of teaching methods. The traditional
teaching methods, i.e. listening to teacher explanation, doing individual work and support
for that are the methods mainly adopted in mathematics classes at present. Both
teachers and their pupils shared the view that these teaching methods ∞uld promote
pupils’ affective attitudes. Teachers seemed to meet pupils’ individual needs in teaching
mathematics through these methods. However, the methods were more advantageous
for certain pupils such as high achievers rather than low achievers. The newer teaching
methods, which encourage pupils to learn together, are less affected by pupils’
perceptions of self and classroom ethos. Pupils’ perceptions of the effect of different
teaching methods on their attitudes had a wide distribution. Some preferred traditional
teaching methods and others preferred newer teaching methods. Widening the range of
teaching methods adopted in mathematics classes should satisfy such individual
differences.
Teacher explanation was the teaching method most frequently adopted in 8th grade
mathematics classes. The teachers seemed to feel confident in presenting mathematics
knowledge clearly to their pupils, although they might have concerns as to the extent to
which individual needs for those with a wide range of attainments were satisfied through
teacher explanation. Teachers should emphasise teacher-pupil interactions rather than
the transmission of knowledge in order to develop pupils’ mathematics thinking ability.
This is also the case when Whole-class discussion is adopted. The frequency of this
teaching method decreased as the grades proceeded because of the over loaded
curriculum. This situation may be improved through the current educational reform which
reduces the curriculum content.
Individual help was given to pupils perceiving themselves as poor at mathematics less
than other pupils at 8th grade. Perhaps teachers’ attributions of pupils’ failure to lack of
effort affects the way that they view low achievers and the extent to which they feel able
to offer support, as the findings from the literature have suggested (Weiner et al. 1970,
1986; Stahelski et al. 1987; Brophy, 1981). Teachers need to be aware of this and offer
increased support to low achievers at 8th grade. Promoting pupils’ understanding should
be the teachers’ main focus, particularly at 8th grade. Pupils reported that promoting their
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