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4.1 Introduction
research findings. The findings relate to research questions that guided the study.
The data were analysed to identify and describe the Mathematics belief of student
student teachers (n=36), a 36% response rate. Based on the information that came
from the class presidents of the Fourth Year BSE Mathematics students that all of
them had undergone their practice teaching, this mean that 99 students is the total
population (N=99).
questionnaires for this study had met the required inclusion criteria as discussed in
presented as follows:
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The third section is the Beliefs about Teaching Efficacy in
Mathematics.
oneself.
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H. Mathematical problems are can be solved correctly in many
ways.
nature of mathematics.
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Question D – 86% of the participants (n=31) either agreed or strongly
agreed that in mathematics, many things can be discovered and tried out
by oneself.
agreed that when solving mathematical task, you need to know the correct
agreed that if you engage in mathematical tasks, you can discover new
preciseness.
ways.
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Question L - 83% of the participants (n=30) either agreed or strongly
statement Mathematics involves creativity and new ideas got more than 90%
23).
The items included in this area include questions that explore how
Grigutsch, et.al. (1998), the items were classified into four subgroups:
a) Mathematics as formal
b) Mathematics as procedural
d) Mathematics as applied
The first subgroup includes the first three items (A, B, and C
respectively). The third item as stated a while ago, got the strongest
support from the respondents. Generally, this subgroup was supported and
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subgroup got an endorsement mean of 5.05 that indicate a strong support
and F got the same endorsement from the respondents (86%) while it is
noticeable that item E got the least support yielding only 61%. Also,
notice that even if items D and F got some percentage (86%) of support, it
are also the same (refer to Appendix A.1.2.2). Item D got an endorsement
(5/6 of the sample) gathered from the respondents. Hence, this subgroup
discussion, it is evident that items under this subgroup got same support
5.17, H and I got 5.36 specifically. But still, this subgroup seemed not to
change its position and gathered a favourable and highest among the four
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subgroups and got total endorsement mean of 5.30. Notice also that items
H and I are still having the same mean but as compared to the deviation of
relevance (Item I), got a lower standard deviation equal to 0.76 (see
Appendix A.1.1). This means that the respondents favoured item I than
item H, but still, as stated, both gathered the support of the participants.
The fourth subgroup includes the last three items specifically items J, K,
and L. This subgroup of items also gathered strong support from the
less than 80%. Notice that items J and L gathered same percentage of
endorsement but item J got a lower mean than item L. This gradually
support from the respondents. Thus, it can be said that student teacher
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The respondents were not forced to choose between the two sets of beliefs
about the nature of Mathematics; it is quite possible for them to endorse both set
Procedures and a Process of Enquiry. Using these two scales, the research team
expected that future teachers would lean toward one on other view of the nature of
ones who score highly in this scale and therefore tend to see mathematics
and what is incorrect. The items included in this scale are the following:
3. Item E - When solving mathematical task, you need to know the correct
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Findings:
this also denotes that the student teachers believe that there are rules to be
scale are definitely the ones who scored the items highly. They see
oneself.
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4. Item H - Mathematical problems are can be solved correctly in many
ways.
Findings:
endorsement than other items. Similarly, this scale got an overall response
finding is the result of the study conducted by Tatto et al. (2008), that
Philippines had shown strong support for this scale ranging from 89% to
92%.
Overall Findings
negatively correlated but the coefficient of correlation for these two scales yields
0.51 from which, as stated by Garret (1981) that this coefficient indicates a
that the student teachers prove the possibility that they can endorse the same
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The items are found to be really substantial in general when it comes to
the practice of teaching since the student teachers possess beliefs that are
subject.
formulas.
problems.
quickly.
followed.
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G. In addition to getting a right answer in mathematics, it is important to
H. Teachers should allow pupils to figure out their own ways to solve
mathematical problems.
teacher’s help.
problems.
the formulas.
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Question B – 27.78% of the participants (n=10) either agreed or strongly
mathematical problems.
concept.
problems quickly.
explanations.
emphasis should be put on getting the correct answer than on the process
followed.
disagreed that teachers should allow pupils to figure out their own ways to
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Question I – 11.11% of the participants (n=4) either agreed or strongly
and expense.
disagreed that pupils can figure out a way to solve mathematical problems
disagreed that teachers should encourage pupils to find their own solutions
particular problems.
Based on the findings above, it can be evidently seen that most items
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4.3.2.1 Classifications of Each Item
page 36-37, only items H and N got the support of the respondents. Items
E, F, and M did not get the support of the respondents. Item E got a mean
of 4.00 while item F got 3.17 similarly, item F got 4.53. These three
statements from this subgroup got minimal disagreement on the part of the
respondents. Items H and M on the other hand both yielded a mean of 5.36
minimal disagreement from the respondents due to the low support of the
respectively. Items B, C and L did not got the endorsement from the
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Items B, C, and L, as stated, were not endorsed by the respondents.
agreed these three items only gathered the following averages: 3.78, 2.53,
endorsed by the student teachers that gathered high averages (5.13 and
also important to understand why the answer is correct aside from only
that the mean that was computed from this subgroup was affected by the
endorsed by the student teachers. Similarly, all these items got low mean
disagreement on the part of the respondents. Thus, this shows that the
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4.3.2.2 Two Scales of Beliefs about Learning Mathematics
There were two scales developed under this area and these are as follows:
mathematics, respondents are not forced to choose between the two sets of
beliefs about mathematics learning, and can thus endorse both sets of
was that future teachers would learn toward one or the other view of
learning, and that the two sets would be negatively correlated. This proved
to be the case.
Direction
formulas.
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2. Pupils need to be taught exact procedures for solving mathematical
problems.
quickly.
explanation.
process followed.
expense.
Findings:
the respondents. This may imply that the best way to excel in
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this result is that the students still need to understand the problem
even if they got the right answer. With regards to the fourth
Another, student teachers did not also agree about putting more
agree that the time and amount of money spent for hands on
consider the role of the students as to not directly following all the
al. (2008) that the student teachers from the Philippines do not
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mathematics, conduct their own enquiries, and develop ways to solve
in the scale:
2. Teachers should allow pupils to figure out their own ways to solve
mathematical problems.
teacher’s help
problems.
Findings:
Items in this scale have relatively high mean (see Appendix A.2.6)
Generally, this scale got a mean of 4.97 which implies that student
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involvement and therefore see mathematics learning as being active
out by Tatto et. al (2008), it has been revealed that student teachers from
Overall Findings
negatively correlated and the coefficient of correlation for these two scales yields
-0.17 from which, as stated by Garret (1981) that this coefficient indicates a
that the student teachers lean on one belief ,that is, learning mathematics is best
their practice teaching since the student teachers possess beliefs that are beneficial
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4.3.3 Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs
based on their personal efficacy beliefs and the outcome expectancy. The
subjects.
by good teaching.
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12. I understand mathematics concepts well enough to be effective in teaching
mathematics.
mathematics.
teacher.
mathematics works.
mathematics teaching.
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Not all questions generated positive responses (agree or strongly agree)
in Mathematics.
agreed that they will continually find better ways to teach mathematics.
agreed that even if they try very hard, they do not teach mathematics as
agreed that they know the steps necessary to teach mathematics concepts
effectively.
activities.
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Question 7 – 41.67% of the participants (n=15) either agreed or strongly
students in mathematics.
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Question 15 – 77.78% of the participants (n=28) either agreed or strongly
agreed that if parents comment that their child is showing more interest in
teacher.
questions.
agreed that they wonder if they have the necessary skills to teach
mathematics.
agreed that given a choice, they would not invite the principal to evaluate
concept, they are usually at a loss as to how to help the student understand
it better.
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Question 22 – 97.22% of the participants (n=35) either agreed or strongly
questions.
mathematics.
Furthermore, this belief scale had been divided into two sub scales:
The researchers expect that personal beliefs and outcome expectancy should
Further, the researchers also expect that the student teachers should not lean on
that their beliefs about personal teaching efficacy were substantial in their
subjects. (Item 3)
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3. I know the steps necessary to teach mathematics concepts effectively.
(Item 5)
18)
10. I wonder if I have the necessary skills to teach mathematics. (Item 19)
(Item 21)
(Item 22)
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Findings:
12, 18, and 22) were agreed by the respondents while eight items (items 3,
6, 8, 17, 19, 20, 21, and 23) were not agreed by the respondents (see
teach mathematic effectively and they will continually find better ways to
teach mathematics.
believe that they have the necessary skill in teaching mathematics and thus
choice, from the principal. Further, they also believe that they teach
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student has difficulty in mathematics; they know how to help the student
understand it better.
4)
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6. Increased effort in mathematics teaching produces little change in
Findings:
Of the 9 items included in this subscale, six items (items 4, 10, 11,
14, 15, and 16) were agreed by the respondents while three items (items 1,
7, and 13) were not agreed by the respondents (see Appendix A.3.1-A.3.2:
generally be blamed on their teachers even though the latter has generally
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achievement in Mathematics is directly related to the teacher’s
teaching.
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