| Summary: | 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 5th and 8th 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 5th grade teachers and 1479 of their pupils belonging to 28 elementary schools, and 42 8th 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 8th grade. To improve pupils' attitudes towards learning mathematics, teachers should consider the 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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