Teachers’ Motivation and Conceptual Understanding for Students in Public Elementary Schools

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the teacher’s motivation and conceptual understanding of students in public elementary schools. This study used the non-experimental quantitative research design utilizing the correlational method. The respondents of this study were 135 teachers in public elementary schools using universal sampling. The data analysis utilized the mean, pearson-r and regression analysis. The findings revealed that the teachers' motivation for students in public elementary schools in terms of self-efficacy, active understanding strategies, understanding value, performance goal, and understanding of the environment were manifested oftentimes by the teachers. Moreover, their teacher’s conceptual understanding of students in terms of objective response and analysis and reasoning was manifested oftentimes by the teachers. It was found that there was a significant relationship between the teacher’s motivation and conceptual understanding for students in public elementary schools. It showed further that the domains of teacher’s motivation are significantly influenced by conceptual understanding for students in public elementary school. Based on the findings, the recommendations show that public school teachers may help the students to put the information in a logical order such that they can learn and understand the new concepts by relating them to the concepts they already know. This way, they can better grasp why a conceptual understanding is significant and how it can be applied in real situations.