Obstacles of Learning Mathematics in Preparatory Programs from the Point of View of the Students and their Professors at Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University

Abstract

This research aimed to identify the obstacles of learning mathematics from the point of view of the students and their professors at Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University. The researcher used the descriptive survey approach and set up two questionnaires, the first for students (33 items) which were distributed among 6 axes (Nature of Mathematics, the Student, Math Teacher, Learning Environment, Maths Book, Evaluation) and the second (15 items) which measures the views of mathematics professors. The sample consisted of (207) students studying the math course for the second time and (26) professors. The results showed that the highest axes of obstacles are: Evaluation, Nature of Mathematics, Maths Book, Learning Environment, the Student, and finally the Math teacher. The study found that there were no statistically significant differences at (α = 0.05) in the students' estimates due to the variable-gender of vocabulary axis of Mathematics Nature, Learning Environment, Maths Book, and there were no statistically significant differences between professors’ estimates related to gender, educational qualification. It was recommended to combine the efforts to overcome these obstacles, especially with regard to the Maths Book and Evaluation.