Unraveling the Worldviews of Coaches in Mathematics Competition in Rural Public Secondary High Schools
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69569/jip.2025.419Keywords:
Mathematics competition, Rural public secondary, Worldview of coachesAbstract
This qualitative study addressed the significant research gap concerning the lived experiences of mathematics coaches in rural public high schools in Sultan Kudarat, Philippines, a context often overlooked in existing educational research. Employing a transcendental phenomenological design, the study focused on eight purposively selected coaches, allowing for an in-depth exploration of their unique approaches to teaching and mentoring student-mathematicians within challenging rural environments. Data were gathered through comprehensive, in-depth interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis, which facilitated the identification of key patterns and themes in their experiences. The findings revealed that these coaches adopt a holistic educational philosophy—prioritizing deep understanding over rote memorization and emphasizing essential values such as collaboration, empathy, and resilience. Their multifaceted roles foster transformative personal and professional growth, enhancing important traits such as patience, confidence, and emotional intelligence. At the same time, they balance challenges like stress with a profound sense of pride in their students’ achievements. The coaches envision a future centered on continuous innovation, expanding mentorship programs, and fostering creativity among their students. They derive immense fulfillment from witnessing student success and aspire to become more effective mentors by employing personalized teaching methods tailored to individual learner needs. The study culminated in the development of the Transformative Achievement Program in Mathematics—Coaches Holistic Passion (TAP Math-CoHoP), designed to enhance math proficiency, emotional intelligence, and community engagement. The findings highlight the dual impact of coaching: enriching coaches’ lives through fulfillment and driving student success via personalized methods. Scaling the TAP Math-CoHoP program and providing resources for stress management and collaborative training are strongly recommended to bridge rural-urban educational disparities and support holistic education in similar contexts.
Downloads
References
Anto, A. G., & Coenders, F. (2019). Teacher learning in collaborative professional development: Changes in teacher and student practices. In J. Pieters, J. Voogt, & N. Pareja Roblin (Eds.), Collaborative Curriculum Design for Sustainable Innovation and Teacher Learning (pp. 229–247). Springer International Publishing. https://shorturl.at/GrilM
Attié, E., Guibert, J., & Polle, C. (2022). Promoting student self-regulation and motivation through active learning: In J. Keengwe (Ed.), Advances in Higher Education and Professional Development (pp. 203–226). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-9564-0.ch010
Bell, E., Bryman, A., & Harley, B. (2022). Sampling in qualitative research. In E. Bell, A. Bryman, & B. Harley, Business Research Methods. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/hebz/9780198869443.003.0030
Beswick, K. (2014). What teachers want: Identifying mathematics teachers’ professional learning needs. The Mathematics Enthusiast, 11(1), 83–108. https://shorturl.at/gM26w
Chen, W., Huang, Z., Peng, B., Li, L., & Chen, J. (2025). Teacher competency and work engagement among secondary school physical education teachers: The multiple mediating roles of occupational stress, emotional exhaustion, and professional achievement. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16, 1530413. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1530413
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Dehalwar, K., & Sharma, S. N. (2024). Exploring the distinctions between quantitative and qualitative research methods. Think India Quarterly, 27(1), 7–15. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10553000
Egan, R. (2020). Developing the helping relationship: Engagement. In J. Maidment & R. Egan (Eds.), Practice Skills in Social Work & Welfare (3rd ed., pp. 103–114). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003116806-9
Henderson, L. (2024). The critical need for robust K-8 mathematics policy. ExcelinEd. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/5x84j2yk
Herrera, X., Nissen, J. M., & Van Dusen, B. (2019). Student outcomes across collaborative-learning environments. In 2018 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.1119/perc.2018.pr.herrera
Husain, W., Inam, A., Wasif, S., & Zaman, S. (2022). Emotional intelligence: Emotional expression and emotional regulation for intrinsic and extrinsic emotional satisfaction. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 15, 3901–3913. https://doi.org/10.2147/prbm.s396469
Kamei, T. (2020). Thinking skills instructional strategies: Teaching students with additional needs to be better thinkers. In P. Griffin & K. Woods (Eds.), Understanding Students with Additional Needs as Learners (pp. 185–195). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56596-1_12
Kang, Robin (2023). Understanding the experiences, challenges, and professional identities of esports coaches (Master’s thesis). Toronto Metropolitan University. https://doi.org/10.32920/23159906.v1
Kassymova, G., Podberezniy, V. V., Arpentieva, M., Zhigitbekova, B., Schachl, H., Kosherbayeva, A., Aganina, K., Vafazov, F., Golubchikova, M. G., & Korobchenko, A. I. (2023). Building resilience in students: Managed and minimised stress in students. OBM Neurobiology, 7(4), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2304193
Kettler, T., & Taliaferro, C. (2022). Personalized learning in gifted education: Differentiated instruction that maximizes students’ potential (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003237136
Kiefer, S. (2024). Culturally sustaining and motivating practices: Fostering equitable learning environments and student academic success (Poster 42). AERA 2024. AERA 2024. https://doi.org/10.3102/IP.24.2104339
Lee, H. (2018). Developing an effective professional development model to enhance teachers' conceptual understanding and pedagogical strategies in mathematics. Journal of Educational Thought / Revue de la Pensée Éducative, 41(2). https://doi.org/10.55016/ojs/jet.v41i2.52513
Liu, J., Hill, H. C., & Demszky, D. (2024). Improving teachers’ equitable mathematics instruction through integrating automated feedback and coaching: A randomized controlled trial [AEA RCT Registry entry]. American Economic Association RCT Registry. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.14383
Mallett, C., & Lara-Bercial, S. (2023). Learning from serial winning coaches: Caring determination (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003427292
Moon, K. (2023). Developing knowledge of student thinking: Understanding big ideas behind students’ difficulties with connecting representations in algebra. International Journal for Mathematics Teaching and Learning, 24(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.4256/ijmtl.v24i1.439
Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Sage Publications.
Muir, B., & Lyle, J. (2024). Coach education, coach learning and professional development. In B. Muir & J. Lyle, Sport Coach Learning and Professional Development (1st ed., pp. 12–26). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003232322-2
Murtafiah, W. (2024). E-IM3 learning model for developing junior high school students’ decision-making ability in solving number pattern problems. AIP Conference Proceedings, 3148, 040049. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0241565
National Center for Education Statistics. (2015). The nation's report card: 2015 mathematics and reading assessments. https://tinyurl.com/nh9nvntm
Naz, F., & Rashid, S. (2021). Effective instructional leadership can enhance teachers’ motivation and improve students’ learning outcomes. SJESR, 4(1), 477–485. https://doi.org/10.36902/sjesr-vol4-iss1-2021(477-485)
Ollapally, A. (2015). Mixed methodology: Use of qualitative and mixed methods research to understand and explore organizational phenomena in the 21st century—Reflecting on personal experience as a ‘Research scholar’. In Qualitative research in management: Methods and experiences (pp. 210–222). https://doi.org/10.4135/9789354798948.n12
Ovais, D., & Jain, R. (2024). Designing mentorship and coaching programs to support career development and innovation in higher educational institutions: A systematic literature review. In M. Kayyali (Ed.), Advances in Educational Marketing, Administration, and Leadership (pp. 91–116). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-6880-0.ch005
Pascale, J., Lineback, J. F., Bates, N., & Beatty, P. (2022). Protecting the identity of participants in qualitative research. Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology, 10(3), 549–567. https://doi.org/10.1093/jssam/smab048
Phoong, S. Y. (2021). The influence of learning styles and motivation on undergraduate student success in mathematics. Turkish Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education (TURCOMAT), 12(3), 658–665. https://doi.org/10.17762/turcomat.v12i3.771
Polly, D., Algozzine, R., Martin, C. S., & Mraz, M. (2015). Perceptions of the roles and responsibilities of elementary school mathematics coaches. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 4(2), 126–141. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijmce-08-2014-0030
Pratama, M. A. (2020). Mathematical critical thinking ability and students’ confidence in mathematical literacy. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1663(1), 012028. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1663/1/012028
Radmehr, F., & Drake, M. (2017). Exploring students' mathematical performance, metacognitive experiences and skills in relation to fundamental theorem of calculus. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 48(7), 1043–1071. https://doi.org/10.1080/0020739x.2017.1305129
Saclarides, E. S., & Kane, B. D. (2021). Understanding mathematics coaches’ development: Coaches’ attributions of their professional learning in school districts. International Journal of Educational Research, 109, 101815. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101815
Safaei, N. (2024). Mathematical olympiad problems and coding theory: Development and proof of a critical hypothesis. In R. Geretschläger, Problem Solving in Mathematics and Beyond (Vol. 31, pp. 145–158). WORLD SCIENTIFIC. https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811279294_0008
Shafee, S., Ghavifekr, S., & Abdullah, Z. (2019). Leadership role of coaches in improving teachers’ instructional practices. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Management, 7(1), 92–112. https://doi.org/10.22452/mojem.vol7no1.5
Siegeris, J., & Pfennig, A. (2023). Empowering student projects: Fostering reflective practices for enhanced teamwork and individual learning. ICERI Proceedings, 1, 410–415. https://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2023.0159
Subash, N. (2019). Teaching strategies to improve learning outcomes. Innovative Teaching Practices for 4G Students, 251–254. https://doi.org/10.34256/iorip19155
Subedi, K. R. (2025). Safeguarding participants: Using pseudonyms for ensuring confidentiality and anonymity in qualitative research. KMC Journal, 7(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.3126/kmcj.v7i1.75109
Sujatha, S., & Vinayakan, K. (2023). Assessing the impact of math competitions and challenges on student learning: A review. International Journal of Advanced Trends in Engineering and Technology (IJATET), 8(2), 62–67. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/387401758
Tachie, S. A., & Sekhonyane, M. A. (2020). Using reflective lesson study to improve the metacognitive abilities of mathematics educators for professional growth. ICERI Proceedings, 1, 4899–4905. https://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2020.1068
Tarken, W., & Hart, S. G. (2023). Coaching the agile leader: Mindset and methods to transform performance. In B. Bakhshandeh & W. J. Rothwell, Building an Organizational Coaching Culture (1st ed., pp. 295–309). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003379577-22
Tcharkhalashvili, T. (2023). The role of Emotional Intelligence in Creating and Managing an Effective Learning Environment. Transactions of Telavi State University, 1(35). https://doi.org/10.52340/tuw.2022.01.35.23
Theisen, C. H., Paul, C. A., & Roseler, K. (2022). Fostering reflective teaching: Using the student participation observation tool (SPOT) to promote active instructional approaches in STEM. Journal of College Science Teaching, 51(4), 35–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/0047231x.2022.12290570
Thompson, H., Rodriguez-Arroyo, S., Schaffer, C., & Rohlfsen, C. (2024). Mentorship interventions personalized support systems across varying higher educational settings: Recommendations for personalized educator support. The Chronicle of Mentoring & Coaching, 8(2), 17–30. https://doi.org/10.62935/hx92899
Wang, Q., & Abdullah, A. H. (2024). Enhancing students’ critical thinking through mathematics in higher education: A systemic review. Sage Open, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241275651
Woodburn, A. (2019). Experiential learning for undergraduate student-coaches. In B. Callary & B. Gearity (Eds.), Coach Education and Development in Sport (1st ed., pp. 20–32). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429351037-3
Wu, Y., Yao, Y., & Cai, J. (2020). Learning to be mathematics teacher educators. In International handbook of mathematics teacher education: Volume 4 (pp. 231–270). https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004424210_010
Xu, Y. (2023). Examining the current state of reflective teaching practices among newly appointed primary school teachers. Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 7(12), 258–262. https://doi.org/10.26689/jcer.v7i12.5819
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Interdisciplinary Perspectives
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
