The current study examined pictorial and written descriptions of mathematics teaching and learning among a cohort of 120 students (aged 11 to 14 years) in three different lower secondary schools in Ankara, Turkey. A classroom environment with students working in groups or pairs and engaging in open-ended questions or tasks was unavailable. The students viewed teaching of mathematics only as instruction and practicing, and that learning occurs when students sit at desks and passively listen to the teacher who stands in front of the class and explains and demonstrates the subject and/or solves routine questions. Implications for policy makers include the need to determine the contributors to students' current perceptions of mathematics teaching and learning experiences. Building positive perceptions relating to mathematics and mathematics learning experiences in students is a prerequisite to enabling students to develop mathematical proficiency.