CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND In the Philippines, Mathematics is known to be one of the most difficult subjects in school, but is used wherever one goes. One needs Mathematics in daily life, counting money, measuring sizes, weights, distance and checking time, making it extremely important to learn Mathematics, it is a necessity that all ages need. Leongson (2003) as cited in World Economic Forum reveals that Filipino students excel in knowledge acquisition but fare considerably low in lessons requiring higher order thinking skills, the evidence in the performance of students in national and international surveys on Mathematics and Science competencies. A global survey ranks the Philippines 115th out of 142 countries in perceived quality of Mathematics and Science education. Singapore tops the list. These results are based on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Competitiveness Report for 2011-2012, which ranks Taiwan, 5th; Hong Kong, 11th; and South Korea, 12th. Even Philippines’ neighbour countries excel in the subject, Mathematics, leaving the country at the 115th place. But recent studies show that the Philippines have steadily improved according to the president of the Mathematics Trainers’ Guild-Phils. (MTG), which has been training many of the participants, said the results of the Filipino students’ participation in the competition have been “improving.” More and more students are getting better scores (Dr. Simon Chua, 2012) as cited by as