Philippine E-Journals

Exploring Pre-Service Teachers’ Attitudes, Beliefs and Expectations Towards Problem Solving

Emolyn M. Iringan

 

Abstract:

This descriptive-correlation study assessed the students’ affective factors that include their attitudes, beliefs and expectations towards problem solving. The study further investigated the relationship between and among these affective factors. Total enumeration of the pre-service senior education students of St. Paul University Philippines for the academic years 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 were the participants of the study. Data were obtained through a survey questionnaire. Survey data were analyzed through simple frequency counts and mean. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation(r) was used to determine the index of correlation between the paired variables. Inferences were tested through the t-test for independent samples and t –test for r set at 0.05 level of significance. Results revealed that the participants have positive attitudes and favorable beliefs about Mathematics problem solving. Furthermore, they have a moderate expectation towards problem solving. T-test results revealed that no marked differences exist on the attitudes and beliefs of students towards problem solving when grouped according to gender and course. In terms of their problem solving expectation level, no significant difference exists among gender groups, however, for course groupings, BSED students are significantly higher than the BEED students. Correlational analyses results revealed that students’ problem solving attitude is significantly correlated with their beliefs and expectation level. However, no significant correlation exists between students’ beliefs and expectation in problem solving. It is concluded that favorable problem solving beliefs bring about positive attitude towards problem solving. In addition, problem solving attitude predicts one’s efficacy in doing problem solving tasks. Students’ beliefs in problem solving do not have any significant influence on their expectation level in doing problem solving tasks.