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

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comments, the questions seemed to be clear to the pupils, and the work was completed
within one lesson of 45 minutes.

The fourth pilot study was with one class of 5^th graders and one class of 8^th graders. A
group-administered questionnaire, read aloud by the teacher, was employed for the 5^th
graders; a self-administered questionnaire under the teacher’s supervision was
employed for the 8^th graders. The self-administered questionnaire method was adopted
for 8^th graders because it minimises the contamination, which may occur through talking
or asking questions when someone is reading aloud (Oppenheim, 1996). Both teachers
supervising their pupils’ completion of the questionnaire were asked for their comments
on the procedure. Based on their recommendations, some alternations mentioned in
each section below were made. These informed the final version of the questionnaire.

The questionnaire for pupils was constructed to obtain information in five domains. The
first domain concerned pupils’ reports on the frequency of the deployment of different
teaching methods and their perceptions of their attitudes towards learning mathematics
in terms of the teaching methods used in mathematics classes. The second concerned
pupils’ perceptions of their self-concept and mathematics concept. The third concerned
pupils’ attributions of their perceived outcomes in learning mathematics. The fourth
concerned their perceptions of teachers’ praise in mathematics classes. The fifth
concerned pupils’ perceptions of classroom ethos.

Pupils’ perceptions Ofteaching methods in mathematics classes

The Ministry of Education in Japan (1999) recommended the introduction of activity-
based learning, an effective choice of organisational strategy, provision of opportunities
for peer-interaction and the practical use of computers in addition to those teaching
methods traditionally adopted by teachers in Japan for educational reform 2002. The
teaching methods considered in this study were selected in relation to those
recommendations. This selection of teaching methods was also examined through the
pilot study with the teachers; this is described in the section on the pilot study for the
teachers’ questionnaire. As a result, eight teaching methods were included: practical
work, using computers, reading textbooks, teachers’ explanation, individual work,
individual help, whole-class discussion and group discussion. The second issue to be

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