Arab Educational Information Network

The aim of this research is to identify the main reasons for low academic performance of students of the Faculty of Science at King Saud University in the course of Integral Calculus from the perspectives of students and professors of the course, as well as to identify the main difficulties facing students in learning this course. The study sample consisted of 139 students who had previously studied the course, as well as 25 course professors. We used the descriptive survey approach to achieve the study objectives. A questionnaire was prepared for the students. It consisted of two main parts; one for identifying the reasons of low academic level and the second for difficulties facing the students in learning the course. Another open-ended questionnaire was presented to the teachers. The results were statistically calculated, using averages, standard deviations, percentages and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed a set of reasons for the low level of students agreed upon by the sample of students and professors. Some of the reasons are related to the weakness of the students in the course fundamentals. Other reasons are related to the course content, such as the multiplicity and complexity of the course topics in relation to allocated time, in addition to that the content of the course focuses more on difficult topics, such as area and size problems. As for the reasons associated with the evaluation methods, the tests include unusual passages for students and the test is the only way to judge the level of students. As for the reasons related to the professors of the course, the most prominent reason was the use of traditional, uninteresting teaching methods. The results showed a range of difficulties faced by students in learning the subjects of the course, such as the difficulty of area and volume issues, the weakness in the choice of the appropriate method of integration, as well as function transformation. The results showed that there are no statistically significant differences at the level of (α ≤ 0.05) among the average scores of students due to the variable of scientific specialization in the college, which means that students in different disciplines face the same difficulties. (Published abstract)