Teachers' Mathematical Beliefs and Content Knowledge

This study attempted to describe the mathematical beliefs and mathematical content knowledge of elementary mathematics teachers. It also tried to determine if there is a significant relationship between teachers' mathematical beliefs and mathematical content knowledge. Teachers' beliefs included beliefs about the content of the knowledge of mathematics, beliefs about their teaching practices, and beliefs about the effect of their knowledge of the content of mathematics on their teaching practices. Teachers' beliefs about the content of mathematics were described as to numbers and operations, measurements, patterns, and Geometry. Teachers' beliefs about their teaching practices were described as to motivation, time management, lesson planning, and delivery of lesson. Teachers' mathematical content knowledge involved both conceptual and procedural knowledge on whole numbers, rational numbers, measurement, geometry, and graphs. To gather the need data, the following research instruments were used: Teachers' Beliefs About Their Knowledge of the Content of Mathematics Scale, Teachers' Beliefs About Their Teaching Practices Scale, Teachers' Beliefs About How Mathematical Content Knowledge Affects Teaching Practices Scale, Conceptual Knowledge Test, and Procedural Knowledge Test. The study employed the descriptive research design with fifty elementary mathematics teachers of District II-B in the Division of Antipolo City as the participants of the study. The data were analyzed using the frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. It was found out that teachers have positive beliefs about their knowledge of the content of mathematics. They also have positive beliefs about their teaching practices and how mathematical content knowledge affects their teaching practices. They perceive the importance of the knowledge of the content of Mathematics in their teaching profession. As regards their mathematical content knowledge, the teachers are proficient in conceptual knowledge but beginning in procedural knowledge. It was also found out that teachers' beliefs are not related to mathematical content knowledge. Thus, teachers' beliefs are not factors that affect their mathematical content knowledge.