Do Military Students’ Mathematical Self-Efficacy and Metacognitive Awareness Matter on Their Problem Solving Performance?

Abstract

The military of every country is viewed as a problem-solving and decision-making branch of government for safety concerns. To enrich the military students’ problem-solving skills and decision-making ability, they must be trained to become excellent problem solvers. This study focused on determining the military students’ personal attributes like their self-concept in mathematics, mathematical beliefs, and metacognitive awareness in relation to their problem-solving performance. The study was conducted in a military school in the Philippines for second-year cadets during the first term of the academic year 2019-2020. This study used a descriptive correlational research design. The instruments used in this study are the mathematics self-concept, mathematical beliefs, and Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI). A validated teacher-made test with a reliability coefficient of 0.73 was used with a rubric scale to measure students’ problem-solving performance. The correlation and regression analysis was used to analyze the data collected. Results of the analysis revealed that students’ self-concept in mathematics and metacognitive awareness, self-concept and problem-solving performance, and metacognitive awareness and problem-solving performance has a strong positive correlation while students’ mathematical beliefs and metacognitive awareness, as well as the students’ self-concept in mathematics and metacognitive awareness, showed a low positive association. Further analysis also showed that students’ self-concept in mathematics and metacognitive awareness is found to predict military students’ problem-solving performance. Hence, it is recommended that military school professors need to develop students’ self-concept in mathematics and use metacognitive teaching strategies in teaching mathematics to enhance students’ problems solving skills. Further research can be explored for other factors that may affect military students’ problem-solving skills.