Factors Affecting the Teaching of Public High School Mathematics Teachers in the Province of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao

Abstract

This study was conducted to provide a comprehensive description of the factors affecting the teaching of Public High School Mathematics Teachers in the ARMM, specifically, in the select provinces of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao, and Marawi City. Through the use of quantitative and qualitative research design, this study examined whether or not the identified factors affecting the performance of mathematics teachers established during the preliminary survey conducted in October 2011 at two (2) public high schools with sizable student population in Marawi City also hold true in the public high schools of the two provinces including Marawi City. The identified factors became the baseline information of this study. These factors are: students-related factors, teachers-related factors, administrators-related factors, school support facilities, school curriculum, parent and community attitudes, and socio-cultural setting. Simple and stratified random sampling techniques were used for the respondent size of six hundred and twelve (612) students, thirty-two (32) teachers, and twenty-three (23) administrators. The instruments used for data gathering were: survey questionnaires, interviews, classroom observation and teachers’ beliefs, students’ final grades in their third year level and second grading period grades in their fourth year level and observation guide to obtain a picture of the physical environment of each school. The findings of the study are: (1) very few mathematics teachers which is a mathematics majors; (2) teaching strategies or techniques used by the teachers were not updated or abreast with the new trends of teaching practices; (3) school administrators’ support for the professional growth of mathematics teachers and school facilities was very inadequate due to lack of funds; (4) the school curriculum did not directly respond to the needs of the learners; (5) the students’ and teachers’ attitudes on learning and teaching did not directly lead to better and productive learning and teaching outcomes; (6) the parents’ and community attitudes are not geared to better learning of the students; and (7) the socio-cultural setting had an effect on students’ and teachers’ learning and teaching performance. Thus it is recommended that the process of recruitment, trainings and seminar must be strictly followed and regularly implemented respectively.