Journal of Mathematics Instruction, Social Research and Opinion

The Influence of Principal Leadership on School Improvement in a Philippine Public Secondary School: A Qualitative Study

Kenneth Panga — 2025-10-08

This study investigates the influence of a school principal’s leadership on school improvement in a public secondary school in Camarines Sur, Philippines. Employing a qualitative design, the researchers conducted in-depth interviews with the school principal and four teachers, and analyzed the data using a thematic analysis approach. The principal demonstrated a hands-on leadership style by fostering collaboration, mentoring staff, promoting instructional effectiveness, and strengthening school-community relationships. Teachers described the principal as proactive, approachable, and committed to shared goals. The school faced persistent challenges, including limited financial resources, insufficient instructional materials, high staff workload, and inconsistent stakeholder participation. To address these, the principal implemented strategies such as participatory planning, open communication channels, professional development initiatives, and inclusive decision-making processes. These actions enhanced teamwork and adaptability within the school. The study highlights the importance of strategic, collaborative, and responsive leadership in overcoming barriers and sustaining school progress within the context of Philippine public education.

Scan, Pay, Eat: A Descriptive Qualitative Study of Generation Z Consumer Behavior and Street Food Vendor Response to QRIS-Based Digital Payments in Indonesia

Ade Aspandi — 2025-10-08

The rapid adoption of QRIS (Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard) in Indonesia has transformed consumer payment behavior, particularly among Generation Z. However, empirical studies exploring its influence on merchant adoption in the street food sector remain limited. Previous literature has predominantly examined QRIS usage from the perspective of financial inclusion, with minimal attention to the intergenerational dynamics between digital-native consumers and small-scale vendors. This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach with thematic analysis to investigate Generation Z’s usage patterns of QRIS and merchant responses to its implementation. Primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ten Generation Z consumers, selected purposively based on their high frequency of QRIS use in food purchases. Two street food vendors were chosen to represent differing age groups and digital literacy levels. Findings indicate that most Generation Z participants consistently preferred QRIS over cash, citing transaction speed, ease of use, and perceived security as key factors. Several respondents stated they would avoid purchasing from vendors without QRIS availability, indicating a demand-driven influence on merchant practices. Merchant responses varied: younger, digitally literate vendors readily adopted QRIS, while older vendors encountered barriers such as limited device access and low digital literacy. The small number of merchant participants reflects the study’s focus on depth of insight rather than breadth of sampling. These results suggest that Generation Z’s payment preferences are accelerating the integration of digital payments in micro and small enterprises, though intergenerational disparities in adoption remain a challenge for broader financial technology inclusion.

Factors Shaping Homebuyer Perceptions in Phnom Penh’s Real Estate Market, Cambodia: A Quantitative Survey Analysis

Bern Ou — 2025-10-08

Phnom Penh is experiencing rapid urbanization, which has led to a proliferation of real estate development projects. However, at the same time, problems facing this market include both overproduction and desperate marketing attempts, as well as the continued mismatch between supply and demand in housing for local residents. Empirical evidence for Cambodia’s capital is scarce, although the influences of property features, marketing strategies, and economic conditions on buyer behavior have been addressed in earlier studies published from Southeast Asia. Drawing on responses from 410 Phnom Penh residents with stable monthly incomes who were diverse in terms of age, gender, education, occupation, and marital status. Both English and Khmer versions of a structured questionnaire were used to collect responses, followed by descriptive statistical analysis of the data to identify the factors that play a dominant role in influencing home purchase intentions and decisions among Phnom Penh residents from different backgrounds. Results indicate that property characteristics (M = 4.03, SD = 0.76) and financial and access factors (M = 3.95, SD = 0.74) were rated highest, while buyer perception and marketing influence (M = 3.72, SD = 0.79) also played a significant role. Among these domains, importance was placed on legal ownership paperwork (M = 4.38, SD = 0.74), safety and security (M = 4.30, SD = 0.71), and affordability and financing options (M = 3.87–4.06), which were revealed to be the key decision-making elements. The research aims to provide contextually relevant recommendations for developers, marketers, financial institutions, and policymakers in Cambodia. Its originality lies in being one of the first Phnom Penh–specific, factor-based empirical studies on homebuyer attitudes, and in contributing to the regional literature on urban housing processes in Southeast Asia, while confirming the main hypothesis that microeconomic and perceptual factors play a significant role in shaping real estate behavior among Generation Z homebuyers.

Implementing Bruner's Theory in Teaching Angles on a Circle to Enhance Problem-Solving Skills

Nacalia Yuniarti — 2025-10-08

Bruner's theory is particularly notable for its application in mathematics, as it outlines three steps in the teaching process: enactive, iconic, and symbolic. This research aims to implement Bruner's theory in teaching Angles on circles to improve problem-solving skills. The research method is a quasi-experiment with a posttest-only control group design. Using cluster random sampling, two classes from one of the junior high schools in Jakarta were selected as samples: the first as an experimental class of 30 students, who learned using Bruner's theory, and the second as a control class of 31 students, who learned with a conventional approach. The instrument is a mathematical problem-solving test in the form of an essay test of four questions. The questions are given at the end of the lesson, and the instruments have been validated through content validity and empirical validity. The results show that, through t-test analyses, it was found that students’ problem-solving skills, who learn using Bruner's theory, are higher than those of students who learn using conventional methods. It demonstrates that teaching using Bruner’s theory is effective in improving students’ problem-solving skills, particularly in the Area of Angles on circles.

Teaching Metacognitive Reading Strategies: Evidence from Cambodian EFL High School Students

Sophea Pheng — 2025-10-08

It is widely considered that students of English as a Foreign Language get a significant advantage by employing metacognitive tactics. Research that has been conducted in the past has led to a greater knowledge of metacognitive reading methods in the English as a Foreign Language environment. Nevertheless, only a small number of studies have found statistically significant effects on students' reading abilities. As a result, this study anticipated an opportunity to clarify this topic by focusing on the proficiency of high school students in Cambodia who are learning English as a foreign language. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of metacognitive strategy instruction on students’ knowledge of these strategies and on their reading performance on standardised tests. The study was attended by 55 English as a Foreign Language high school students enrolled in a public school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The students participated for a total of eight weeks. The instruments used for the research were the SORS, the English proficiency reading test, and the lesson plans. In comparison to before the instruction, the students in the Cambodian EFL high school employed the PRS the most after the SORS instruction, followed by the GRS and then the SRS. Additionally, it demonstrated significant gains in both approach awareness (p < 0.01) and International English Language Testing System reading scores (M = 6.65 to 8.13, p < 0.01). The usefulness of specific strategy training in improving the reading performance of students studying English as a foreign language is underscored by these findings. In addition, these results will guide educational methods in Cambodia in the future.

Cross-Cultural Intelligence in the Acquisition of Keigo: A Case Study of Indonesian Internship Students in Japan

Nunik Nur Rahmi Fauzah — 2025-10-10

This study examines the role of cross-cultural intelligence in the acquisition of keigo (a variety of Japanese polite language) by Indonesian students participating in internship programs in Japan. With a qualitative approach, 9 participants from Institut Prima Bangsa and STBA Yapri were involved through questionnaires and interviews. The results show that students have high motivation to learn keigo, both for professional purposes and to maintain social relationships. Students' cross-cultural awareness can be seen from the understanding that keigo is a language skill as well as a cultural competence. The independent learning strategies used include memorizing, imitating supervisors, and utilizing digital media. The findings confirm that real interactions more influence the acquisition of skills in the workplace than learning in the classroom. This research emphasizes the importance of integrating cross-cultural intelligence in Japanese language learning and recommends the development of curriculum and internship programs based on real practices and digital technology.