Philippine E-Journals

Examining the Teaching Competencies and their Relation to the Mathematics Performance of Primary School Students

Flordeliza Libiado | Peter Paul L. Canuto

 

Abstract:

The teachers' role is to influence, engage, commit, and support the students toward a positive outlook of Mathematics as a discipline. This suggests that students' understanding, acknowledgment, and achievement in the discipline primarily depend on the teachers. Considering teachers' roles and students' achievement, the study aimed to determine the teaching competencies affecting teachers' performances and their association with the students' mathematics performance. The study utilized a survey questionnaire, and the obtained data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential analysis. The respondents involved 51 primary school teachers from Grades 4 – 6 in Tinoc District, Tinoc, Ifugao, Philippines. Results showed that the teachers always observed the teaching competencies in their Mathematics teaching. Conclusively, assessment of learning was the most observed competency, followed by personality traits, teaching pedagogy, and instructional material (IM) utilization. Results also showed no significant difference in the teaching competencies based on demographic factors. Moreover, results indicated a lower average (45.80%) Mathematics performance of the primary school students. Consequently, further analysis revealed a non-association between the teaching competencies and the students' mathematics performance. These results infer that the students' mathematical ability was at the beginning level, and mathematical concepts were not fully grasped. It also indicates that teachers were not able to affect the students' performances regardless of always observing the competencies. Nonetheless, a firm view of the teacher’s ability to impact the students' understanding and achievement in mathematics is still sustained.