Recent mathematics assessments have indicated that students in several Asian countries have tended to score above international averages. Research findings indicate that there are cultural differences in expectations for student achievement in mathematics and in classroom practices and instructional strategies. The importance of the motivational qualities of instructional materials and practices has been considered. The purpose of this study was to investigate cross-cultural similarities in the motivational effects of specific instructional strategies by examining large national samples of students from two countries (Japan and the United States) who were part of a comprehensive international assessment (TIMSS 1999) of instructional practices and student achievement. Students included in this study were from the TIMSS 1999 International Samples (13-year-olds) from Japan and the United States. Several instructional practices were examined and variance estimation techniques for complex sampling designs were employed. A number of significant relationships between instructional strategies and student enjoyment for learning mathematics were identified. For instance, the use of cooperative learning activities when learning new topics was positively associated with enjoyment for learning mathematics for students in both countries. The results of this study were consistent with previous research findings on the motivational effects of teaching strategies for mathematics learning.