The Practices of Filipino Teachers in Contextualizing Mathematics

Contextualizing mathematics adheres to the twin goal of mathematics, problem solving and critical thinking. This approach creates more effective learning, and relates mathematical concepts to particular setting, situation or area of application. This investigation explored how elementary and secondary mathematics teachers did the contextualization process. A 34-item, 4-point Likert scale questionnaire, pilot tested to 53 teachers was used to elicit these practices. A sample of 334 was drawn from 2, 038 teachers of the two schools divisions in Southern Philippines. The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), using varimax rotation and Principal Component Analysis, extracted five practices with sub-components determined by a coding process of Strauss and Corbin (1990). It surmised that in contextualizing mathematics: Surigaonon teachers used available resources like indigenous materials and curriculum packages, involved stakeholders within their reach, utilized technologies and models, conformed their approaches to the standards of curriculum, and employed integrative, collaborative and reflective strategies.