The Implication of Licensing of Secondary Mathematics Teachers in Policy Making in the Philippines

Abstract

This is a policy-oriented study relative to the assessment of the performance of Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) and their capability to produce quality secondary mathematics teachers from national regional and institutional levels based on the results of the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) over the five years 2003-2008. This study utilized both qualitative and quantitative research designs. Majority of the LET passers and non-passers for prospective secondary mathematics teachers are nurtured and trained by state universities and colleges (SUCs) both at the national and regional levels. Based on overall, the performance of institutions which supply LET secondary with specialization in mathematics were consistently above the national passing rates for the 5-year period. For every 10 examinees with specialization in mathematics wanting to get the license to teach, only about four are successful for every year. The supply of licensed mathematics teachers is dominated by graduates of non-Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSEd). With the growing population of high school students and the implementation of K to 12 programs, the potential future supply of qualified mathematics teachers who are BSEd graduates would not be enough. Thus, many of the future mathematics teachers will not be adequately prepared in terms of pedagogical skills.