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This study will explore through the use of interviews and questionnaires perceptions of
pupils’ affective attitudes towards mathematics learning and their relationship with the
adoption of a wide range of teaching methods. Before describing the research itself,
Chapter 2 reviews the literature relating to affect and learning, in order to further explore
the background to the study and elaborate the main research questions mentioned
above into subordinate research questions. Chapter 3 examines the methodological
framework adopted in the research: a survey using a questionnaire and interviews. This
chapter also describes the processes of planning and conducting the research in both
the pilot and main studies. The results of data analysis addressing Questions 1,2 and 3
are presented in consecutive chapters. One chapter is specifically prepared for
describing the findings of teacher interview. The last chapter discusses the limitations of
the study, makes suggestions regarding the deployment of particular teaching methods
in mathematics classes in Japanese schools and suggests possibilities for future
research.
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