Chapter 1:

What are the Ideal Qualities of A Math Teacher in The Eyes of Highschool Students?

Introductory paragraph:

Before beginning this study, the researchers need to focus on the definition of two things,
Mathematics and the concept of an effective teacher.
“An effective teacher is someone who has a deep understanding of his/her chosen subject and
is able to convey it in a way that is easily understood by their students.” (Ansari and Malik 2013)
Using this definition, we can conclude that the concept of what an effective teacher is, is
someone who acts as a source and pseudo messenger of information aiming to deliver said
information to the students in a way that can be processed and understood, all while having a
clear understanding of the message they sent.

“A rough generalization of Mathematics is that it is the study of the relationships between

numbers, quantities, magnitudes, and other aspects of abstract reality.”
(InternationalStudent.com)

At first glance this subject has a fairly simple and concise definition, and in all honesty it’s a bit

confusing on why exactly this is such a contested topic however, we can see that from a study

made by K. Abdul Gafoor and Abidha Kurukkan, 20% of students from Kozhikode, India rate

mathematics as a difficult subject, while 54% and 10% of students identify mathematics as medium

difficulty and easy respectively.

Statement of the problem:

This is where we ask the questions, why do these students believe so as well as what can we do

about this? However, in this study, we will be focusing on the second question as this study is

based upon what characteristics of a math teacher do high school students look for and we can

deduce that a lack or offense to these characteristics will lead to the answer of the first question.

In this study, the researchers ask the question on how they can further explore the nuances in

effective math teaching for the improvement of math education in the Philippines. Specifically,

they ask for the qualities of an effective math teacher in the everyday classroom routine as to

build a guideline which can be used by teachers in order to improve the quality of the student’s

learning experience. This qualitative study will explore results through comparative analysis of

data gathered through a questionnaire method in order to form a generalized statement coming

from the respondents. The target population of this study are the high school math instructors and

the high school students from Grade 7 to 12 in Metro Manila. The method and the target

population were paralleled to a previous study by Hapsari et al. in 2017 detailing good

characteristics of math teachers in Indonesia.

Research Questions/Objectives:

1. What are the qualities of a math teacher that high school students look for?

- Which of these qualities are the most/least sought after?

- Which of these are the most common/rare?

- Do students seek intellectual qualities rather than moral qualities and vice versa?

2. What can math teachers do in order to attain these qualities?

3. What behaviors should math teachers employ in order to enhance the student’s learning

experience?

Scope and Delimitation:

This study limits its coverage to that of Highschool Students inside the Philippines for the school

year 2018-2019. Its main objective is to identify and categorize the ideal qualities of math

teachers based on the views of the student.

This study considers the viewpoints of the students along with their reasonings behind said

views. However, this study will be focused on high school students of lower middle to high

economic class and will not take into account students that are outside of said economic

grouping.
Significance of the Study:

In this study we have two main stakeholders, the students and the math teachers as both

of these parties are the ones who will most likely be affected by the results of said studies.

In the case of students, this study will be able to considerately affect their learning experiences as

the scholastic education of high school students is largely affected by two kinds of factors,

academic and nonacademic. Academic factors include the quality of education provided by the

school, such as the teaching style of an instructor, materials provided and the activities assigned

for practice. While nonacademic factors include student performance through social

relationships, mental health, physical condition, and overall attitude of the students themselves.

These factors are incredibly important as it is what makes or breaks a student’s performance and

experience in school and the perception of a student on these factors is very important in

determining a well-suited approach for helping a student excel. This study helps improve on the

academic factors by giving the teachers an understanding of where the students struggle or how

they can discuss the lesson in a way that appeals to the students. This is incredibly important as a

student’s foundation is determined by the quality of education an institution may provide, which

will be used in future endeavors of learning as a student progresses through his scholastic

education. A bad foundation generated from a substandard academic preparation will induce

difficulty for a student in learning deeper topics. While an excellent foundation will elevate the

students to greater heights.

As for the math teachers, this study affects them on a personal and practical as it allows for a

deeper understanding of themselves by giving them a basis which they can use to compare

themselves helping them identify as to which of these areas they can improve on along with

identifying what they are lacking in. It also allows for a deeper understanding of their student’s

academic needs by being able to identify why exactly said students wish for these qualities and

how does it affect their academic improvement as a whole. Another point to be taken into

account is that this study helps bridge the gap between student and teacher in a way that is

beneficial to both parties in that it helps in the learning experience of not just the students, but

the teacher as well, allowing for the mutual human development of both parties. This study does

not only assist in building the academic foundations for students but also helps in building up a

foundation where inexperienced teachers can stand upon and improve themselves. Overall, this

study enhances a given mutualistic relationship to a level where it allows for easier transitions

and adjustments for new teachers towards the students.