INTERPLAY OF LEARNING CLIMATE, MATHEMATICS ANXIETY REGULATION SKILLS, INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND MATHEMATICS PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS

Mathematics problem solving is central to basic education because it requires learners to understand problems, select strategies, carry out procedures, and examine answers, yet Philippine learners continue to show low mathematics performance. Learning climate, mathematics anxiety, and instructional practices are often studied separately and through self-report, and few studies examine their interplay with an actual performance measure among Grade 6 learners. This study examined the interplay of learning climate, mathematics anxiety regulation skills, instructional strategies, and mathematics problem-solving skills of Grade 6 learners in seven public elementary schools in Kalilangan East District in October 2026, School Year 2026-2027. Using a quantitative predictive-correlational design, 156 learners were surveyed through total enumeration, and the Grade 6 Rapid Mathematics Assessment measured problem-solving skills. Learners reported a positive learning climate, High anxiety regulation skills, and favorable instructional strategies, yet their problem-solving skills remained Developing. Together, the three predictors significantly but modestly predicted problem-solving skills, explaining only a limited part of performance differences. Schools should also strengthen the direct development of problem-solving skills among learners. Future researchers should replicate the study with larger, more diverse samples, measure anxiety level separately from regulation strategies, add classroom observations, and examine prior achievement, motivation, attendance, and parental involvement.