Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies

This study examined the extent of learning difficulties encountered by Indigenous Peoples (IP) learners in secondary Mathematics in Davao Oriental. Specifically, it identified the respondents' socio-demographic profile and determined the level of difficulties encountered in relation to terminology, concepts and principles, language, and the surrounding environment. The study used a descriptive-inferential research design. A total of 167 IP learners from selected public secondary schools in Lupon East District participated in the study. Data were gathered using a researcher-validated questionnaire and were analysed through descriptive and inferential statistical procedures. The findings showed that most respondents were aged 13 to 15 years, were female, came from families with an average monthly income below ₱10,000, and walked to school. Many respondents also had parents with limited educational attainment and lived at varying distances from school. Overall, the learners experienced a moderate level of difficulty in learning Mathematics. Among the four dimensions, language obtained the highest mean, followed by concepts and principles, the surrounding environment, and terminology. The results further indicated that only grade level showed a significant difference in the level of difficulties encountered, while age, gender, distance from home to school, parents' educational attainment, family income, and means of going to school were not significant. The study concludes that the Mathematics learning difficulties of IP learners are shaped by linguistic, cognitive, and contextual factors. The findings support the need for culturally responsive, language-sensitive, and learner-centred Mathematics instruction that reflects learners' cultural experiences and learning conditions. These results provide a basis for context-specific support while remaining limited to the respondents and setting of the present study.