Publication: Difficulties of third year BSE mathematics students in differential calculus
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Date
2004-03
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Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University - South La Union Campus
Abstract
This study determined the difficulties of the third year BSE Mathematics students
in Differential Calculus of DMMMSU-SLUC~ College of Education, Agoo, La Union,
during the 1st semester of the school year 2003 - 2004.
Specifically, it sought answers the following: (1) What is the profile of the
students as to age, civil status, gender and grade in Differential Calculus'i; (2) What is the
performance of the third year BSE Mathematics students in the performance test in
Differential Calculus"; (3); What topics are found difficult by the third year BSE
Mathematics students as to the different topics in differential calculus: Differentiability
and continuity, Functions and graphs, Tangent line and derivatives, Derivative of
trigonometric functions, Derivative of higher orders, Limit of functions, Derivative of
composite functions and the chain rule, Derivative of power function for rational
exponents, Implicit differentiation, Derivative of inverse trigonometric function, Normal
logarithmic function, Rate of change (4) In what cognitive domain are the third year B SE
Mathematics students weak?; (5) Is there a significant relationship between the grade in
differential calculus and the grade of the respondents in the Differential Calculus
performance test?
This study tested the hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between
the respondents' grade in Differential Calculus and the scores in the Differential Calculus
performance test.
This study made use of descriptive method using a questionnaire, which was
administered to 15 third year BSE mathematics students of DJvflvIMSU- SLUC, during
the second semester of the school year 2003 - 2004. To analyze the data, the Person-
Product Moment Coefficient of Correlation, t-test, mean and percentages were used.
Based from the data gathered the study came out with the findings. Out of 15
respondents, 12 are females and majority of 7 of respondents are nineteen years old. All
of the respondents are single and 13 of the respondents obtained a grade ranging from 81
- 89. As to the grade in performance test in Differential Calculus, majority of 8
respondents obtained a grade ranging from 72 - 80. In the mean of scores in each topic in
the test in Differential Calculus, the highest is differentiability and continuity of 2.2 mean
score and the lowest is.I3 of derivative of power function for rational exponents. As to
the mean scores in the three (3) cognitive domains, in knowledge is 6, application is 2.8
and in problem solving is only 2. Lastly, there is moderately small positive correlation
because the computed r is .40 and the null hypothesis is accepted that there is no
significant relationship between the respondents' grade in Differential Calculus and in the
Differential Calculus performance test because the computed t value is 1.57 which is
lesser than the tabulated t value of2.160.
From the findings of this study the following conclusions were drawn. As to the
profile of the students, majority of them are females and most of them are 19 years old.
All of them are single and their grade in Differential Calculus is very satisfactory.
Majority of the result of the performance test in Differential Calculus is satisfactory. The
most difficult topic in knowledge is on the derivative of higher order, in application it is
on finding the derivative of power function for rational exponents and in problem solving
it is on the derivative of composite function and the chain rule, and tangent line and
derivative. The most difficult among the topics is the derivative power function for
rational exponents. The third BSE Mathematics students were found weak in problem
solving. Lastly, there is no significant relationship between the respondents' grade in
differential calculus and the grade of the third year BSE Mathematics students in the
performance test.
Basing from the salient findings of this study, the following were highly
recommended: (I) Encourage male students to take up education courses; (2) Further
studies be undertake and determine other factors like teachers, attitude and others that
affect the performance of the students in Mathematics; (3) Teachers should emphasis
more on the higher level of thinking by using teaching techniques to hone the skills in
problem solving; (4) Students should be encouraged to use their time wisely by going to
the library; (5) For better learning, mathematics students are encouraged to study
scholarly the basic pre-calculus mathematics subject for the preparation in differential
calculus especially analytic geometry.
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Citation
Cerveza, R. L., Evangelista, Nanette P., & Fernandez, J. B. (2004) Difficulties of third year BSE mathematics students in differential calculus [Unpublished Undergraduate thesis]. Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University - South La Union Campus, Agoo, La Union.