Abstract
One of the many significant accomplishments of human beings is the discovery of Mathematics, and it has been an indispensable tool in man’s life. Not only has it contributed to the enlightenment of many questions and wonders in the natural world, but also, more importantly, it has been a formula to open our minds to the world of possibilities around us. However, there is low performance in Mathematics. As a groundbreaking purpose for the other conducted studies, additional future studies should be undertaken to furtherly investigate some of the other factors that significantly influence Mathematics performance. This study investigated the direct and indirect effects of student-teacher practices and parent-related factors on problem-solving performance mediated by student-related factors. A causal design was employed in the research, specifically, Mediation Analysis. The samples 208 were taken from a total of 290 first-year students in Mindoro State University for the school year 2019-2020 through proportional random sampling. Results revealed that students’ problem-solving performance in mathematics is considered very satisfactory. Furthermore, student-related factors such as mathematical cognition and study habits mediate the effect of student-teacher practices and parent-related factors on problem-solving performance. The structural Equation Model also revealed that student-related factors mediate entirely the relationship between student-teacher practices, parent-related factors, and problem-solving performance. Considering the findings of this study, parents should continue to support their children's education by providing an encouraging environment, moral support, and learning materials. It is also highly recommended that Mathematics teachers develop more effective instructional materials using innovative materials and technology; this should create learner-centered activities with greater emphasis on word problems that are formulated using real-life situations, and attend seminars and training to keep them abreast with the new trends in education.
