Allan Canonigo of the High School Mathematics Group Earns His Ph.D. Degree

In July 2021, Mr. Allan M. Canonigo was conferred the Doctor of Philosophy in Education degree (major in mathematics education) at the UP College of Education in Diliman.

"Mathematics identity and teacher positioning were very interesting topics for me. So I thought of studying these two constructs since I found no studies on these two topics that were conducted in Asia," said Dr. Canonigo.

His dissertation study, titled ‘Teacher Positioning, Student Mathematics Identity, and the Mediating Effects of Problem-Solving Flexibility, Self-Efficacy, and Perception of Mathematics’, used a mixed-methods convergent-parallel design and a conceptual framework involving positioning theory, identity, perception due to experience, mathematics self-efficacy, and problem-solving flexibility. Results of his study showed that problem-solving flexibility, self-efficacy, and perception of mathematics due to experience are constitutive elements of student mathematics identity, and that each of these contributed to the construction of student mathematics identity. Further, the results indicated that teacher positioning constructs student mathematics identity, therefore, the teaching and learning of mathematics in the classroom must be mindful of the importance of teacher positioning so that a positive mathematics identity among students is developed. However, from among the mediator variables, problem-solving flexibility has shown to have the largest mediating effect between the relationship of teacher positioning and student mathematics identity.

Congratulatons, Dr. Canonigo! Your NISMED family is proud of you!