Analysis of Students’ Learning Obstacles in The Differential Equations Course Reviewed from Their Problem-Solving Ability
Abstract
Objective: This study examines the obstacles students may encounter when learning to solve differential equations with mathematical problem-solving. Method: A qualitative study with observation and interviews was conducted on the 5th-semester students of the Mathematics Education Study Program, Khairun University, Ternate, who took the Differential Equations course to explore students' mathematical problem-solving abilities. Samples were selected by purposive sampling by selecting two students each from the low, medium, and high problem-solving ability categories. Results: Based on the results of this study, the obstacles that students faced in studying differential equations were ontogeny obstacles, didactic constraints, and epistemological constraints. Several efforts can be made to help students overcome these barriers, such as improving students' collaborative skills, providing constructive feedback, strengthening students' learning motivation through contextual learning, and reflecting on students' learning processes. Novelty: The result of this research contributes to helping lecturers design learning that makes it easy to learn differential equation courses.
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