The Prevalence of Low Performing Students at the School of Mathematical Sciences

Unsatisfactory results among students at the School of Mathematical Sciences has become quite a phenomenon. This study aims to identify the problem that resulted in an unsatisfactory examination results, which caused the students to achieve low gred point average (GPA) and cumulative gred point average (CGPA) during Semester 1, Session 2009 – 2010. In order to identify the problems, a survey was conducted and 18 students responded in the study. Factors that were studied are students’ learning techniques, attitude, social interaction, interest dan motivation, spiritual aspect and self-confidence. The result of this study showed that most of the students felt they had tried their best to achieve good grades, they are concerned with their study and they were interested in the courses taken. However, this group of students also admitted that they did not study consistently, preferred to study alone, and sometimes easily gave up and felt that they were helpless and could not change the situation.