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THE COMPETENCY LEVELS OF THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL MATH TEACHERS IN

NEGROS ORIENTAL

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 THE COMPETENCY LEVELS OF THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL MATH TEACHERS IN NEGROS
ORIENTAL
Craig N. Refugio, PhD
Negros Oriental State University-Main Campus 1, Dumaguete City
Cell: 09177014160 Email: craig.refugio@gmail.com/craig.refugio@norsu.edu.ph
Abstract
The competency levels in: general mathematics and statistics & probability of the core curriculum
subjects; business mathematics of the Accountancy, Business & Management (ABM) strand; pre-calculus
and basic calculus of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics(STEM) strand among senior
high school math teachers of SY 2016-2017 in Negros Oriental were determined coupled with the intention
of offering intensive trainings to competencies which are still developing and those that are not yet
demonstrated. Competency in this study refers to the understanding, experience and application of
understanding of the different learning competencies of the Senior High School (SHS) mathematics subjects.
The competency levels are classified as: advanced; proficient; developing; and does not demonstrate at all.
Data were collected using actual interviews through Focus Group Discussion (FGD), questionnaire and
sample test items of the different learning competencies of the different SHS mathematics subjects.
Frequency, ranking, weighted means and standard deviations were used in the analysis and interpretation.
In general mathematics as well as probability & statistics in the core curriculum subjects, it is
disclosed that senior high school Math teachers of Negros Oriental are proficient in the following areas:
functions and graphs; basic business mathematics; normal distributions; and correlation & regression
analysis. However, they have developing competencies in the areas of logic; random variables & probability
distributions; sampling and sampling distributions; estimation of parameters; and hypotheses testing.
In terms of business mathematics of the Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM) strand, the
teacher respondents showed advanced competencies in all areas: fundamental operations involving(
fractions, decimals and percentage); ratio and proportion; salaries and wages; and presentation & analysis of
business data.
Furthermore, the mathematics subjects (pre-calculus and basic calculus) in the Science,
Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) strand, data revealed that the teacher respondents have
advanced competencies in the areas of analytic geometry; series & mathematical induction; and
trigonometry. On the other hand, they have developing competencies in the areas of: limits & continuity;
derivatives and integration.
With the aforementioned competency levels, there is a sufficient evidence to provide intensive
trainings to areas where the competency levels are still developing as well as those competencies that are
not yet demonstrated and shall be spearheaded by the NORSU Graduate School PhD-Math; PhD-Math
Education; MS-Math & MA-Math Teaching students and professors.
Keywords: senior high school math teachers, competency levels, intensive trainings, STEM, ABM, and Core
Curriculum Subjects
Background of the Study
School Year (SY) 2016-2017 is the beginning of the Senior High School (SHS) implementation in the
Philippines. The Department of Education (DepEd) has called for expressions of intent for full-time and part-
time teaching positions for Grades 11 & 12. This call is only addressed to qualified and highly competent
teachers, professionals, practitioners, and experts who are interested in teaching the core curriculum and/or
applied specialized subjects under the four SHS tracks (www.deped.gov.ph/k-12/shs/bulletin). All applicants
have to comply the mandatory and additional requirements and shall then be ranked following DepEd’s
evaluation criteria and selection process(www.deped.gov.ph/k-12/shs/bulletin).
Literature review reveals that math teachers must be competent in the world of mathematics
teaching. But what does it take to be competent in mathematics teaching? According to the National
Research Council, 2000 that if math students are to develop mathematical proficiency, teachers must have a
clear vision of the goals of instruction and what competence means for a specific mathematical content they
are actually teaching. They need to master the mathematics they teach as well as the different perspective of
that mathematics—where it can lead and where their students are headed with it. They need to be able to
use their competence flexibly in practice to appraise and adapt instructional materials, to represent the
mathematical content in an honest and accessible process, to plan and conduct instruction, and to assess
what students are learning. Teachers need to be able to hear and see expressions of students’ mathematical
ideas and to design appropriate ways to respond. A teacher must interpret students’ written work, analyze
their reasoning, and respond to the different methods they might use in solving a problem. Teaching requires
the ability to see the mathematical possibilities in a task, sizing it up and adapting it for a specific group of
students. Familiarity with the trajectories along which fundamental mathematical ideas develop is crucial if a
teacher is to promote students’ movement along those trajectories. In short, teachers need to muster and
deploy a wide range of resources to support the acquisition of mathematical proficiency (National Research
Council, 2000).
This study is anchored on the “The Knowledge Base Model for Teaching Mathematics - The
 Figure 1. The instructional triangle model
The Knowledge Base Model for Teaching Mathematics - the Instructional Triangle Model is
composed of the following according to the National Research Council, 2001:
Mathematical knowledge which includes knowledge of mathematical facts, concepts, procedures,
and the relationships among them; knowledge of the ways that mathematical ideas can be represented; and
knowledge of mathematics as a discipline—in particular, how mathematical knowledge is produced, the
nature of discourse in mathematics, and the norms and standards of evidence that guide argument and
proof. In our use of the term, knowledge of mathematics includes consideration of the goals of mathematics
instruction and provides a basis for discriminating and prioritizing those goals. Knowing mathematics for
teaching also entails more than knowing mathematics for oneself. Teachers certainly need to be able to
understand concepts correctly and perform procedures accurately, but they also must be able to understand
the conceptual foundations of that knowledge. In the course of their work as teachers, they must understand
mathematics in ways that allow them to explain and unpack ideas in ways not needed in ordinary adult life.
The mathematical sensibilities they hold matter in guiding their decisions and interpretations of students’
mathematical efforts.
Knowledge of students on how they learn mathematics includes general knowledge of how various
mathematical ideas develop in children over time as well as specific knowledge of how to determine where in
a developmental trajectory a child might be. It includes familiarity with the common difficulties that students
have with certain mathematical concepts and procedures, and it encompasses knowledge about learning
and about the sorts of experiences, designs, and approaches that influence students’ thinking and learning.
Knowledge of instructional practice which includes knowledge of curriculum, knowledge of tasks
and tools for teaching important mathematical ideas, knowledge of how to design and manage classroom
discourse, and knowledge of classroom norms that support the development of mathematical proficiency.
Teaching entails more than knowledge, however. Teachers need to do as well as to know. For example,
knowledge of what makes a good instructional task is one thing; being able to use a task effectively in class
with a group of sixth graders is another. Understanding norms that support productive classroom activity is
different from being able to develop and use such norms with a diverse class.
According to Ma, 1999 “one thing is to study whom you are teaching, the other things are to study
the knowledge you are teaching and knowledge of instructional practice.. If you can interweave these three
things together nicely, you will succeed…. Believe me, it seems to be simple when I talk about it, but when
you really do it, it is very complicated, subtle, and takes a lot of time. It is easy to be an elementary school
teacher, but it is difficult to be a good elementary school teacher.”
Leaning on the aforementioned statements, the researcher being a mathematics educator
conceptualized his study based on the mathematical knowledge and knowledge of instructional
practice aspects of “The Knowledge Base Model for Teaching Mathematics.” These are being chosen as
the foci of the study because according to the National Research Council, 2001 knowledge of the content to
be taught is the cornerstone of teaching for proficiency, all teachers must begin with it. There is a substantial
body of research on teachers’ mathematical knowledge, and teachers’ knowledge of mathematics which is
prominent in discussions of how to improve mathematics instruction. Improving teachers’ mathematical
knowledge and their capacity to use it to do the work of teaching is crucial in developing students’
mathematical proficiency. Furthermore, conventional wisdom asserts that student achievement must be
related to teachers’ knowledge of their subject. That wisdom is contained in the adage that “You cannot
teach what you don’t know.”
This study sought answers on the question: “How competent are the SHS mathematics teachers
with the different learning competencies in general mathematics and statistics & probability of the core
curriculum subjects; business mathematics of the Accountancy, Business & Management (ABM) strand; pre-
calculus and basic calculus of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics(STEM) strand?”
Research Methodology
Survey research design was used in this study. The participants were the 87 senior high school
 Advanced (4.00) -Has very good understanding of the learning competency, with very sufficient
teaching experience of the learning competency. Can apply his/her understanding of the learning
competency at all times.
Proficient (3.00) -Has good understanding of the learning competency, with sufficient teaching
experience of the learning competency.Can apply his/her understanding of the learning competency most of
the time.
Developing (2.00) -Has little understanding of the learning competency, with little teaching
experience of the learning competency. Can apply his/her understanding of the learning competency
sometimes.
Does not demonstrate (1.00) -Has very little understanding of the learning competency, with no
teaching experience of the learning competency. Can not apply his/her understanding of the learning
competency.
Data were collected using actual interviews through FGD, questionnaire and sample test items of the
different learning competencies of the different SHS mathematics subjects. All instruments for data collection
were tested for content validity. Frequency, ranking, weighted means and standard deviations were used in
the analysis and interpretation. The following were used to describe the weighted means and standard
deviations:
Weighted mean values Verbal description
1.0 - 1.74 Does not demonstrate
1.75 - 2.49 Developing
2.50 - 3.24 Proficient
3.25 - 4.00 Advanced
Standard deviation values Description
Less than or equal 3.00 Homogeneous responses
Greater than 3.00 Heterogeneous responses
(Source: Cohen, 2001 & Berry, 2001)
Findings and Discussions
The competency levels of the senior high school math teachers in general mathematics and
statistics & probability in the core curriculum subjects are presented in Table 1
Table 1. Summary Table. General Math & Statistics & Probability (Core Curriculum Subjects)
WEIGHTED Standard VERBAL
LEARNING COMPETENCIES
MEAN Deviation DESCRIPTION

1. Functions and Graphs 2.98 0.33 Proficient

2. Basic Business Mathematics 2.87 0.28 Proficient
3. Normal Distribution 2.91 0.40 Proficient
4. Correlation & regression Analysis 2.76 0.27 Proficient
5. Logic 1.92 0.10 Developing
Random Variables & Probability 1.82 0.22 Developing
6.
Distributions
7 Sampling & Sampling Distributions 2.14 0.25 Developing
8 Estimation of Parameters 2.01 0.11 Developing
9 Hypotheses Testing 1.97 0.16 Developing
Table 1 reveals that in general mathematics as well as probability & statistics in the core curriculum
subjects, the senior high school Math teachers of Negros Oriental are proficient in the following areas:
functions and graphs; basic business mathematics; normal distributions; and correlation & regression
analysis. However, they have developing competencies in the areas of logic; random variables & probability
distributions; sampling and sampling distributions; estimation of parameters; and hypotheses testing. All
competency level ratings are homogeneous as indicated by their standard deviations. The FGD results
provided reasons why there is proficiency in some areas but have developing skills on other areas. All of the
87 participants disclosed during the FGD that they taught functions and graphs, basic business mathematics
as well as correlation and regression analysis many school years before the implementation of the senior
high school curriculum. Moreover, they further disclosed that they have developing competency levels in
logic, random variables & probability distributions, estimation of parameters, and hypothesis testing because
all of these are new in the curriculum and that they forgot already these topics. Seventy of the 87
respondents aired out that they have to be retrained in those areas where there competency is still
developing.
The Business Mathematics competency levels of the senior high school math teachers in the ABM
strand are presented in Table 2.
Table 2. Summary Table. Business Mathematics (Accountancy, Business & Management )
WEIGHTED STANDARD VERBAL
LEARNING COMPETENCIES
MEAN DEVIATION DESCRIPTION
 Presentation and Analysis of
5. 3.48 0.15 Advanced
Business Data
In terms of business mathematics of the Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM) strand, the
senior high math teacher respondents showed advanced competencies in all areas as reflected by their
weighted means: fundamental operations involving( fractions, decimals and percentage); ratio and
proportion; salaries and wages; and presentation & analysis of business data. The standard deviations of all
learning competencies showed homogeneity of the competency level ratings. All of the 87 participants
disclosed during the FGD that they taught fundamental operations; ratio & proportion; buying & selling;
salaries & wages; and presentation and analysis of business data many school years before the
implementation of the senior high school curriculum. Ten of the 87 respondents manifested during the FGD
that they were able to manage companies and industries and that they were able to apply and practice all of
basic concepts in business mathematics.
The senior high school math teachers’ competency levels in pre-calculus and basic calculus are
presented in table 3.
Table 3. Summary Table. Pre-Calculus & Basic Calculus (Science, Technology, Engineering &
Mathematics)
WEIGHTED STANDARD VERBAL
LEARNING COMPETENCIES
MEAN DEVIATION DESCRIPTION

1. Analytic Geometry 3.61 0.21 Advanced

2. Series & Mathematical Induction 3.49 0.17 Advanced
3. Trigonometry 3.44 0.50 Advanced
4. Limits & Continuity 2.03 0.17 Developing
5. Derivatives 2.01 0.14 Developing
6. Integration 2.12 0.19 Developing
As reflected in Table 3, the senior high school math teacher respondents have advanced
competencies in the areas of analytic geometry; series & mathematical induction; and trigonometry. On the
other hand, they have developing competencies in the areas of: limits & continuity; derivatives and
integration. All competency levels are homogeneous as manifested by the standard deviations. During the
FGD, all of the 87 respondents revealed that they taught analytic geometry as well as series & mathematical
induction many years before the implementation of Grade s 11 and 12. All of the 87 respondents disclosed
that they really have limited knowledge on limits & continuity, derivatives and integration as these are new in
the curriculum. All of the 87 disclosed that they forgot already some of these competencies. One hundred
percent of the 87 respondents are willing to undergo retraining in those competencies which their knowledge
is still developing.
In summary, all of those learning competencies where senior high school teachers have developing
competency levels must be given immediate consideration as conventional wisdom asserts that student
achievement must be related to teachers’ knowledge of their subject. That wisdom is contained in the adage
that “You cannot teach what you don’t know.”
Conclusions and Recommendations
There is a sufficient evidence that the senior high school math teachers in Negros Oriental have
developing competency levels in some learning competencies in: general mathematics; statistics &
probability; pre-calculus; and basic calculus. They have little understanding of some learning competencies,
with little teaching experience of some learning competencies and can apply their understanding of some
learning competencies sometimes. These learning competencies must be addressed immediately so as to
have competent senior high school math teachers in Negros Oriental as conventional wisdom asserts that
student achievement must be related to teachers’ knowledge of their subject. That wisdom is contained in
the adage that “You cannot teach what you don’t know.” Professional development is highly recommended
as this is critical of developing proficiency in teaching mathematics
Negros Oriental State University functions in four areas: instruction, research, extension and
production, the researcher recommends that intensive trainings to areas where the competency levels are
still developing be conducted and be spearheaded by the NORSU l PhD-Math; PhD-Math Education; MS-
Math, MA-Math Teaching and BSED- major in Mathematics students and professors. Doing so would lead
to a research based extension program.
References:
http://books.nap.edu/catalog/9832.html. [July 10, 2001].
http://books.nap.edu/catalog/10050.html. [July 10, 2001].
http://mxlmkt.pearsoncmg.com/mathxl-features.
http://www.nctm.org
Ma, L. (1999). Knowing and teaching elementary mathematics: Teachers’ understanding of fundamental
mathematics in China and the United States.Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
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