Purpose: This study examined the influence of metacognitive awareness, epistemological beliefs, and mathematical resilience on university students’ perceived mathematical problem-solving ability and explored the cognitive and affective processes students employ when solving mathematical problems. Design/methodology/approach: An explanatory mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 350 undergraduate Mathematics Education students at a public university in Ghana using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. Qualitative data were obtained from 10 purposively selected students and analysed thematically to provide further insight into students’ problem-solving processes. Findings: Metacognitive awareness (β = .247, p < .001) and epistemological beliefs (β = .273, p < .001) significantly predicted perceived mathematical problem-solving ability, whereas mathematical resilience did not significantly predict perceived mathematical problem-solving ability (β = .105, p = .163). The qualitative findings indicated that students engaged in problem interpretation and strategy planning, monitoring and evaluation, persistence and strategy adjustment, and experienced varied emotional responses during problem solving. Practical implications: Mathematics instruction should incorporate activities that strengthen students’ metacognitive regulation and productive epistemological beliefs while developing resilience alongside mathematical knowledge and problem-solving strategies. Originality/value: The study combines structural evidence on cognitive and epistemological predictors of mathematical problem-solving with qualitative accounts of students’ cognitive and affective experiences, providing a more comprehensive account of problem-solving among university mathematics education students.

School calendar decisions in rural districts are shaped by staffing challenges, financial pressures, and community needs, yet research on the four-day school week (4DSW) has focused primarily on student achievement. This cross-sectional study used parallel surveys of Missouri principals—94 in 4DSW districts and 70 in five-day school week (5DSW) districts, to examine principals’ self-reported perceptions of schedule-related motivations, professional time use, and stakeholder satisfaction. In Missouri, 192 of the state’s 516 public school districts—about 37%, almost all of them rural, operated on a four-day calendar in 2026–2027, up from 34 in 2018–2019. Mann–Whitney U analyses indicated that principals in 4DSW districts more often rated teacher recruitment and retention, operating costs, and family scheduling as important considerations, whereas principals in 5DSW districts placed greater emphasis on student recruitment and academic performance; several of these differences were attenuated after correction for multiple comparisons. Principals in 4DSW districts also reported more weekly time devoted to professional development, planning, and mentoring, with the fifth day frequently used for adult collaboration. No statistically significant differences were detected between groups in the proportion of principals reporting any weekly time for services to English Learners, gifted and talented students, or students receiving special education. Principals in 4DSW districts reported consistently high perceived satisfaction with the schedule. Because the design is cross-sectional and all measures reflect principal reports, the findings describe associations rather than effects of the calendar. The results suggest that rural districts often view the 4DSW through a broader organizational and workforce lens than achievement-focused research typically reflects.