Exploring Preservice Teachers' Attitude Towards Learning Mathematics: Basis for Curricular Enrichment

Mathematics has always been perceived as one of the most challenging subjects to study at the tertiary level. However, as future educators, a positive attitude towards mathematics is encouraged among preservice teachers because learning it would equip them with the basic knowledge and mental discipline in teaching math and other school subjects like Science, Music, Arts and technical subjects. Hence, this study sought to explore preservice teachers’ attitudes towards learning Mathematics. There were two research questions and one hypothesis guided the study. This study utilized descriptive survey design and data were gathered online thru Google forms. A sample of 200 preservice teachers from a selected higher education institution in Zamboanga City was chosen randomly through proportionate and systematic sampling procedures. This study adapted the Attitude Towards Mathematics Inventory (ATMI) by Martha Tapia and George E. Marsh. The research instructor and subject matter experts validated this, and the subscales attained acceptable reliability coefficients during the pilot testing based on the computed Cronbach’s alpha. Mean, standard deviation and Pearson – r correlation were utilized in the analysis of the data. Findings revealed that preservice teachers had moderately positive attitudes towards learning Mathematics. Results also showed that there are significant positive correlations among the subscales. This study recommends that math teachers in higher education create learning activities that can alter or minimize negative attitudes towards Mathematics