Perceived teachers’ competence, and students’ interest in mathematics: Their influence on performance in mathematics of Filipino high school students in Iloilo City

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the significant relationship between students’ characteristics, perceived teachers’ competence, interest in math and performance in math of fourth-year Filipino High School students of Iloilo National High School (Public School) and Central Philippine University High School (Private School) in Iloilo City. It also investigated whether respondents’ personal characteristics such as gender, parents’ economic status, parents’ educational background, and parents’ occupation had a significant relationship with the aforementioned variables. The study employed a descriptive method of research in order to collect data to test the hypothesis concerning the current status of the subject of the study. The data needed for this report was obtained through the use of a standardized mathematics test which was the Parallel Test to National Achievement Test 2010 (NAT) taken from the Department of Education, Region IV and a researcher-made attitude evaluation form constructed and validated for the purpose. A survey form was also used to gather data on respondents’ gender, parent’s educational background, parents’ socioeconomic status and parents’ occupation. Statistics employed were means, frequencies, ranks and correlation. The respondents of this study were fifty fourth-year high school students of Iloilo National High School and another fifty-nine from Central Philippine University High School. There were a total of one hundred-nine students from both schools. Majority of the respondents were female. Trigonometry was the most favored area in mathematics among the respondents. It was found out that there was no significant relationship was found between the students’ characteristics and their perception on their teachers’ competence; between the students’ characteristics and their interest in math; and between the students' characteristics and their performance in math. The study showed however that there was a significant relationship between the students’ perception of their teachers’ competence and their performance in math; the students’ interest in math and their performance in math; between and the students' perception on their teachers' competence and between students’ interest in math.