Digital Pedagogy, Collaborative Learning, and Professional Development of Secondary Mathematics Teachers in the Division of Santa Rosa City, Laguna, Philippines: A Descriptive-correlational Study

Abstract

Background: High-quality professional development programs are essential to sustain both digital pedagogy and collaborative learning. Collaborative forms of professional development have been found to produce more lasting improvements compared to traditional training approaches. Aims: This study aimed to determine the level of digital pedagogy, collaborative learning, and professional development among secondary mathematics teachers in the Division of Santa Rosa City, Laguna, Philippines; examine the relationships among these variables; and assess their predictive influence on professional development. A significant research gap exists in localized empirical studies examining how these three constructs interact within the Philippine public secondary school context, particularly in mathematics education. Study Design: Quantitative, descriptive-correlational research design. Place and Duration of Study: Public secondary schools in the Division of Santa Rosa City, Laguna, Philippines, during the 2025-2026 school year. Methodology: Stratified random sampling was utilized to select 85 junior high school mathematics teachers from ten public secondary schools. A validated researcher-made questionnaire measuring digital pedagogy (four domains), collaborative learning (five domains), and professional development (six domains) was administered using a 4-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed using weighted mean, standard deviation, Pearson's r, and multiple regression. Results: Respondents demonstrated very high levels of digital pedagogy (overall WM = 3.29, SD = 0.468), collaborative learning (WM = 3.47, SD = 0.417), and professional development (WM = 3.52, SD = 0.428). The low standard deviations indicate general agreement among respondents. Significant positive relationships were found between all variables, with the strongest correlation between collaborative learning and professional development (*r* = .876, *p* < .001). Regression analysis showed that both digital pedagogy (β = 0.134, *p* = .047) and collaborative learning (β = 0.793, *p* < .001) significantly predicted professional development, explaining 77.8% of its variance (R² = 0.778). Conclusion: Collaborative learning is the primary driver of professional development, while digital pedagogy serves as a significant but weaker supporting factor. Strengthening collaborative practices through professional learning communities, complemented by targeted digital training, can substantially improve mathematics teachers' professional growth. These findings have implications for teacher training programs and educational policy in the Philippine context.