Abstract
Calculus is a fundamental subject in mathematics education that develops students’ analytical and problem-solving skills; however, it is widely perceived as one of the most difficult areas of study among college students. This study aimed to determine the level of difficulties experienced by Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSED) Mathematics major students in learning calculus, identify the factors contributing to these difficulties in terms of teacher-related, student-related, school-related, and home-related aspects, and examine the relationship between the level of difficulty and the identified factors.
A descriptive-correlational research design was employed, involving fifty (50) third-year BSED Mathematics students at Osmeña Colleges selected through census sampling. Data were collected using an adapted Likert-scale questionnaire and analyzed using weighted mean and Pearson r correlation. The findings revealed that students experienced a high level of difficulty in learning calculus. Among the contributing factors, student-related factors were found to be the most influential, followed by school-related factors, while teacher-related and home-related factors were slightly influential. Furthermore, a statistically significant relationship was found between the level of difficulty and the contributing factors (r = 0.37, p = 0.008), indicating that these variables collectively affect students’ learning challenges. The study highlights the need for improved study habits, effective teaching strategies, enhanced learning environments, and strengthened academic support systems to address difficulties in calculus learning. These findings may serve as a basis for developing targeted interventions to improve students’ performance and success in mathematics education.
Keywords: Calculus, learning difficulties, mathematics education, student-related factors, teacher-related factors, school-related factors, home-related factors, descriptive-correlational research
https://doi.org/10.65494/pinagpalapublishing.279
