The Influence of Academic Goal Orientation and Mathematical Solving Strategies on Problem Solving among Mathematics Major in a Local College

The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of academic goal orientation and mathematical problem-solving strategies on the problem-solving performance of mathematics education students in Kapalong College of Agriculture, Sciences and Technology (KCAST). The study was quantitative research that utilized a descriptive-correlational approach. A sample of 131 randomly selected mathematics education students through stratified random sampling which answered standardized questionnaires covering the three variables. Results showed that the level of academic goal orientation was low, the level of mathematical problem-solving strategies was high, and the level of problem-solving performance was very high. Results also revealed that there was a weak, positive, and significant relationship between academic goal orientation and problem-solving performance. Likewise, there was a very strong, positive, and significant relationship between academic goal orientation and mathematical problem-solving strategies. However, there was no significant relationship between mathematical problem-solving strategies and problem-solving performance. Moreover, results showed that among the domains of academic goal orientation, only the learning or task goal significantly influenced students’ problem-solving performance. These findings implied that developing task-oriented academic goals was crucial in enhancing the problem-solving abilities of mathematics education students.