The following article presents the results of a research project which aimed to find out how teachers view their pupils in particular what difficulties they see with regard to mathematics lessons, and the teaching methods they consider to be the most effective to motivate their pupils. The method used in the research project was an interview with open questions.
The research was undertaken on a sample size of 60 teachers, including both primary school teachers and the teachers of the lower classes of secondary schools. The results of the analyses carried out in this study show that the majority of teachers do not seriously engage themselves in a debate about positive learning motivation, nor with regard to the pupils' fear of failure.
As such, little consideration is given to the influence of these two aspects on pupils' learning. Teachers' lack of insight into these issues is often reflected in their dissatisfaction with their pupils' attitudes and/or their work in mathematics lessons.