“Perception of the Fourth Year High School Students Colegio San Agustin about

their Mathematics Teacher: An Initial Investigation

PNU, March 2007
Averry Ann L. Baldivia et al.

In the fields of education, Mathematics, like every other subject should be manifested by
the teacher in an approach wherein a student can absorb knowledge which will improve their
thinking skills and understanding of concepts and principles essential in this subject. For the
teacher, good teaching qualities not only include complete mastery of the topic to be taught but
also to be able to build a harmonious, working relationship with many different kinds of learners
rather than to few.

Ever since, vast numbers of students are having a hard time gaining knowledge of
Mathematics. This was due to the fact that the subject involves numbers, problem solving,
analysis, reasoning, comprehension, and simply reading. These difficulties were most often
brought about by their misconception of the subject matter and moreover their misleading false
impression of their mentor. These lecturers may have indeed lack the capability to bring the
subject more closely to his/ her students. Regularly, these qualities and/ or behavior portrayed by
the instructor play a significant impact on the learning of the students. The subject not because of
its complicatedness with regards to other subjects, but because they do not find it appealing on
how the lecturer deliverer the lesson and control the class atmosphere. In turn, the students,
having trouble with the lecture, are anxious to give question to the teacher feeling worried and
uneasy. This dilemma becomes another challenge to the academic community, aside for
discovering the significance of learning mathematics to the everyday life. Certain patterns have
to be followed to find out what is yet to be discovered. In this outlook, Mathematics may not
really be the problem. The problem may be cored from the teacher, themselves.

The perception of the students to the qualities of their teacher is the main factors that
affects their performance, and because of this, the researchers were determined to show the
significant relationship between the perception of the students to their relationship and its effect
to their academic performance.
 In learning Mathematics in High School, one must have a good foundation that has been
acquired through effective study of the area from basic to complex. Students, specifically
freshmen high school students, would find it difficult to understand high mathematics without a
good foundation of basic mathematics. Teachers would also find difficulty to impart
mathematical concepts. Thus, mathematics I, being the most basic math subject in High school,
should be given utmost importance.

Moreover, in a high school, Mathematics should be made meaningful by allowing

the learners to explore Mathematical concepts, relationships, and possibilities in real life
situations so as to give the students an idea of the outside reality. Hence, the learners should be
taught with mathematical y skills possibly in the most interesting way – through various teaching
approaches where they could gain mastery of adequate mathematical skills and be able to apply
these skills to one’s everyday life.

According to Calderon (2004), children coming from poor families with very meager
incomes have stunted growth especially if they have not pursued higher education or none at all.
The personal profile of the student that includes highest educational attainment and the income
level of the parents is another learning condition. If the parent suffers from ignorance and wrong
values, the children likewise suffer the adverse consequences because such parents cannot pay
much attention to the proper upbringing of their children. On the other hand, children, coming
from affluent families and educated parents with the right values can grow and develop more
progressively than children coming from poor families. Besides, rich homes are usually provided
with more learning materials and tools, which the children can avail of for their learning
activities. Naturally, children of affluent families can pursue higher education, which is usually
denied to children of poor families.

Another learning condition is the availability of tutors at home. Gordon (1990, cited by
Balangat), confirmed that the purpose of student tutoring is to reinforce standard teaching. The
concept of tutoring is simple, yet, it provides excellent opportunities to students. It helps raise the
aspirations of students and encourage them to consider containing their education and training.

Location of residence is yet another learning condition. Children coming from squatter or
slum areas and from crime-infested areas have a very slim chance of growing progressively
because of the bad influence of their neighborhood. The Barkada influence is especially strong
in these places. While it is true that a minority can reach optimum development in such areas,
surely, the majority cannot. On the other hand, those children coming from affluent areas, and
from the average social class, have all the opportunities offered by society for them to attain
optimum growth and development. Other groups of children with contrasting community
background are those coming from the urban and rural areas. The city children are more exposed
to modern conveniences such as the telephone, television, light rail transit, museums, libraries,
big commercial establishments and the like. These conditions give to the city children an edge
over the rural children in the field of informal learning (Calderon, 2004).

Other learning conditions are study habits, attitudes toward Mathematics and teaching
approach.

Study habits of students are also associated with their performance specifically in
Mathematics. This is explained by the Law of Exercise, the second law of Edward Thorndike,
which states that exercise or practice reinforces learning (Aquino, 1999). This puts importance
on drill, repetition and review. This frequent review on a certain topic results to mastery of that
particular topic. Furthermore, Watson’s Law of Frequency and Recency also supports the
relationship of the study habits and the students learning. The student’s patterns of behavior in
studying acquired through frequent repetition result to a mastery of the subject matter and more
positive learning outcomes.

The attitude toward learning Mathematics is also associated with the mathematics
performance. According to Gines (1998), the students without negative attitude toward some
teacher and subjects are indeed rare. This is to be expected that students like some teachers or
subjects better than others do. However, an overall negative attitude is damaging to a student. If
unchecked, it may affect the entire classroom. Learning suffers and cynicism becomes rampant.
If the students have positive feelings toward the teacher or the subject., the students more likely
do the required work. The work itself will acquire positive value.

Lastly, teaching approach is also a learning condition associated with the mathematics
performance of the students. According to Acero , et. al. (2000), it is not enough that a teacher
knows his subject matter, what is important is that he must be able to impart it properly and
effectively to the students. There are many approaches in teaching however, there are times that
the teacher does not properly implement the chosen approach, hence resulting to
inappropriateness for the subject matter.

Generally, having a better teaching and learning process results from the harmony of
these two factors: learning conditions and performance. Based on the Theory of Configuration,
the learning conditions and student performance are simply described as elements of teaching
and learning. It is only through the combination of the two that the last stage of learning, the
transfer of learning, takes place. Transfer of learning is the final determinant of the Teaching and
Learning process. After that, everything goes on a continuous process.

Learning conditions and performance, therefore, create a vital implication to the teaching
and learning process such as the transformation of the teaching-learning process to a more
student-centered setting since the learning conditions are mostly based on the students.
 Sleep deprivation can impair memory and inhibit creativity making it difficult for sleep
deprived students to learn. Teens struggle to learn to deal with the stress and control emotion-
sleep deprivation makes it even more difficult. Irritability, lack of self –confidence and mood
swings are often common in a teenager, but sleep deprivation makes it worse. Depression can
result from chronic sleep deprivation. Not enough sleep can endanger their immune system and
make the, even more susceptible to serious illness (Hirshkowltz, 2007)

Disturbed sleep in school of children negatively affects their school performance and
various neuro-cognitive activities, according to an article recently published in the journal of
School Health. This review of 21 studies found that some causes of disturbed sleep are reversible
and that affected students can achieve better academic performance after intervention. “In many
cases, when disordered breathing at night is the cause, intervention may not only improve sleep
but improve academic performance as well, “ lead author Howard Taros MD explained.