Teacher Collaboration and Perceived Student Academic Performance among Secondary Mathematics Teachers

Teacher collaboration is widely recognized as an important factor in improving instructional quality and enhancing student learning outcomes, particularly in Mathematics education. This study examined the extent of collaborative practices among public secondary school Mathematics teachers and the perceived impact of these practices on students’ academic performance in the PALMA Area, Cotabato, Philippines, during the School Year 2024–2025. The study employed a descriptive–correlational research design and involved a complete enumeration of 150 Mathematics teachers from 50 public secondary schools. Data were gathered through a validated questionnaire measuring collaborative practices in terms of lesson plan sharing, joint instructional activities, participation in professional development, and engagement in feedback processes, as well as teachers’ perceptions of students’ academic performance. Descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis H test, and Spearman’s rho were used for data analysis. The results showed that teachers demonstrated a high level of collaborative practices, particularly in professional development and feedback activities. Significant differences were observed in joint instructional activities across age groups and in professional development participation based on educational attainment, while no significant differences were found in terms of sex and length of service. Furthermore, a strong and significant positive association was found between collaborative practices and the perceived academic performance of students in Mathematics. The findings indicate that structured collaborative initiatives, such as lesson sharing, joint instruction, and professional learning communities, contribute to improved teaching effectiveness and student learning outcomes, and the study recommends strengthening institutional support and addressing barriers to collaboration to sustain effective teacher collaboration in secondary Mathematics education.