Mathematics Teaching Assignment and Teacher Positive Well-Being in the Philippines: Evidence from SEA-PLM 2024

Abstract

This study examined whether teacher positive well-being was associated with mathematics teaching assignment in the Philippine SEA-PLM 2024 teacher dataset while accounting for teaching experience and classroom problems. A retrospective observational design was used, drawing on data from 494 Grade 5 class teachers. Missing data were addressed through multiple imputation, and the primary analysis incorporated the SEA-PLM teacher final weight and 96 replicate weights using survey-weighted linear regression. Mathematics teaching assignment was not significantly associated with teacher positive well-being. Teaching experience was likewise not significantly associated with well-being, while classroom problems showed a negative but statistically uncertain association. Sensitivity analyses using square-root and natural-log transformations of the outcome, as well as a survey-weighted complete-case analysis, yielded the same overall conclusion. The findings indicate that none of the three variables independently distinguished teacher positive well-being in this dataset. For practice, the findings do not support differentiating teacher support solely by subject assignment or years of experience. A broader assessment of teachers' working conditions and available resources may provide a more appropriate basis for identifying support needs. The findings also demonstrate the importance of accounting for complex survey design and missing data in large-scale educational assessment research.