Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Information and Communications Technology Competency, Occupational Stress and Teachers' Performance in Mathematical Word Problems

The purpose of this study was to develop a structural model of teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge, information and communications technology competency, occupational stress and performance in mathematical word problems. Teachers had an overall satisfactory rating in word problem solving performance. The comprehension and extraction was the highest, followed by construction of equations and solving of equations. Mathematics teachers were highly knowledgeable in terms of pedagogical content knowledge. They were highly knowledgeable of the curriculum and of teaching strategies and moderately knowledgeable in the knowledge of content. Information and communications technology competency was also regarded as high among mathematics teachers. They were highly competent in basic computer operations, and office and technology productivity tools. Internet and network applications, and information and data management were described moderately competent. On occupational stress, teachers were highly stressed with all measures being consistent in description arrange in particular order as job exhaustion/demands, extra load handled, anxiety, role conflict and time pressure management Teachers’ mathematical word problem solving performance showed significant correlation with pedagogical content knowledge with content knowledge. It was also correlated with information and communications technology competency with internet and network applications. Occupational stress also manifested correlation with extra load handled as a measured variable. The best predictors of mathematical word problem performance were the knowledge of content, knowledge of the curriculum and extra load handled. The goodness-of-fit captured the teachers’ mathematical word problem solving performance as a blend of information and communications technology competency and occupational stress.