International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

Frequency: 12

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 Volume 13, Issue 3 (March 2026), Pages: 180-189

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 Original Research Paper

Passion and pressure in teaching: Exploring the motivation, challenges, and resilience of mathematics teachers in Iloilo Province

 Author(s): 

Dheevy Love V. Aguirre *

 Affiliation(s):

College of Education, Northern Iloilo State University, Barotac Viejo Campus, Iloilo, Philippines

 Full text

    Full Text - PDF

 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7653-4178

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2026.03.018

 Abstract

This study examined the levels of motivation, challenges, and resilience among 159 elementary and secondary mathematics teachers in a municipality in the Fifth District of Iloilo, Philippines. The study used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. First, quantitative data were collected through a researcher-developed questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rho correlation. This phase was followed by a qualitative stage that included semi-structured interviews analyzed through thematic analysis. The results showed that teachers were generally motivated (M = 4.32), mainly due to their intrinsic commitment to student success. Although teaching mathematics was perceived as challenging (M = 3.80), teachers demonstrated high levels of resilience (M = 3.85). The correlation analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between challenges and resilience (r = 0.832, p < .05), indicating that dealing with professional challenges can strengthen teachers’ adaptive capacity. The qualitative analysis identified six major themes related to the challenges teachers face: balancing multiple grade levels and diverse learning needs, limited preparation time and resources, weak foundational numeracy skills among students, learner attitudes and engagement, parental involvement and support, and external workloads and administrative tasks. Based on these findings, the MathRISE (Mathematics Resource, Innovation, and Support for Educators) extension program was developed. The program includes two main initiatives: Project MENTOR, which focuses on professional development and peer coaching, and Project PACE, which aims to improve parental involvement and classroom efficiency. The study concludes that establishing structured support programs is essential for maintaining teacher well-being and improving the quality of mathematics instruction.

 © 2026 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

Mathematics teachers, Teacher motivation, Teaching challenges, Teacher resilience, Mathematics education

 Article history

Received 29 September 2025, Received in revised form 25 February 2026, Accepted 12 March 2026

 Acknowledgment

The researcher thanks the participants, school heads, subject coordinators, and experts for their support and validation, which greatly enhanced the study. 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical considerations:

An informed consent form was attached at the beginning of the researcher-made survey questionnaire, clearly outlining the study’s purpose, objectives, methodology, potential benefits, participants’ right to withdraw, and instructions for completing the survey. Throughout the data collection and analysis, the researcher strictly maintained confidentiality and anonymity, ensuring voluntary participation and safeguarding respondents’ rights and privacy. The study adhered to established ethical standards and posed no risk to the participants’ well-being at any stage of the research. 

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

Aguirre DLV (2026). Passion and pressure in teaching: Exploring the motivation, challenges, and resilience of mathematics teachers in Iloilo Province. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 13(3): 180-189

  Permanent Link to this page

 Figures

  Fig. 1

 Tables

  Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4 Table 5 Table 6 Table 7

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