ABSTRACT
This study examined the relationship between mass promotion, where students advance without mastery, and mathematical proficiency among high school learners in Abuyog, Leyte. Twenty-five math teachers participated using a quantitative correlational design and Likert-scale questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and ANOVA analyzed perceptions across demographics. Results showed teachers agreed mass promotion causes learning gaps, poor preparedness, and reduced motivation, while existing remedial programs are insufficient. No significant perception differences were found across age, gender, service length, or designation, indicating shared concerns. The study concludes that automatic promotion and rigid curricula weaken learning and recommends a Math Mastery Support Program with diagnostic assessments, remediation, mastery-based progression, and enhanced classroom monitoring to improve proficiency and uphold academic standards.
Keywords: mass promotion, mathematical proficiency, mastery-based learning, teacher perceptions, academic standards
INTRODUCTION
Across many education systems, students advance through grade levels without fully mastering basic skills, creating a domino effect of widening learning gaps. This challenge is particularly evident in the Philippines, where mathematics education faces persistent deficiencies. The practice of mass promotion, in which students progress regardless of academic readiness, has become a critical concern in core subjects (UNESCO, 2022). Although intended to promote inclusivity, this practice has instead contributed to declining learning outcomes and has raised important questions about how to balance equity with academic standards.
Mathematical proficiency is a multifaceted construct encompassing conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning, and productive disposition (NCTM, 2025). Mastery of grade-level competencies builds a foundation for higher learning and essential problem-solving skills. Yet, Filipino students underperform; in the 2018 PISA, only 19% reached minimum mathematics proficiency, highlighting systemic weaknesses that hinder learning outcomes. EDCOM 2 (2023) further reports that 90.9% of 10-year-olds in the Philippines experience learning poverty—defined as the inability to read and understand simple texts—representing one of the highest rates worldwide. Because reading comprehension is fundamental to solving mathematical problems, weak literacy further worsens poor performance in mathematics (EDCOM 2, 2023; World Bank, 2022).
Mass promotion advances students without mastering grade-level competencies. In the Philippines, it stems partly from misinterpreting the U.S. “No Child Left Behind” policy. Although DepEd Order No. 8, s. 2015 sets a 75% passing requirement, automatic promotion is not mandated. Nevertheless, mass promotion has become deeply embedded in school culture and administrative practice. Studies in other developing countries likewise demonstrate that automatic promotion correlates with weaker reasoning abilities and lower academic achievement (Gaytos et al., 2019; Yeboah et al., 2020).
EDCOM 2 emphasizes addressing learning deficits, strengthening literacy and numeracy by Grade 3, and implementing 8–12 week recovery programs in secondary schools using diagnostic assessments. In one national high school, 40% of Grade 7 students were non-readers, yet teachers felt pressured to promote them, causing students to advance without mastery and requiring reteaching.
This study emphasizes the need to examine the link between promotion practices and mathematical proficiency to address the Philippine learning crisis. Understanding teachers’ perspectives on automatic promotion can guide policy reforms ensuring skill mastery, especially amid DepEd’s Matatag Curriculum and EDCOM 2 initiatives that risk failure if mass promotion persists.
Statement of the Problem
This study seeks to examine the relationship between high school mass promotion practices and mathematical proficiency among students, as perceived by math teachers. Specifically, it aims the following questions:
1. What is the profile of the mathematics teacher-respondents in terms of:
1.1 Age
1.2 Sex
1.3 Length of Service experience
1.4 Designation
2. What are the perceptions of mathematics teachers regarding the relationship between high school promotion practices and students’ mathematical proficiency in terms of:
2.1 Promotion Practices
2.2 Student Preparedness
2.3 Resource Availability
2.4 Impact on Motivation
2.5 Academic Standards
3. Is there a significant relationship between high school promotion practices and mathematical proficiency based on their profiles?
4. Based on the findings of the study, what intervention program can be proposed to address the effects of promotion practices on students’ mathematical proficiency?
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