Abstract
One of the major aims of mathematics education in the Philippines and abroad is to train students on how to solve problems inside the mathematics classroom and in the real world. However, learners encounter difficulties in problem-solving, and the sources of these difficulties are rarely studied. This study then aimed to surface the sources of difficulties of senior high school students of Saint Mary’s University on problem-solving tasks in General Mathematics by using a quantitative–qualitative approach in describing the sources of difficulties of senior high school students in completing mathematical tasks of problem solving, exploring epistemological, psychological and pedagogical causes that could affect their success in mathematics. It was found out that the Grade 11 students experience difficulty mainly because they perceive mathematics in general with too many calculations, there is a need for them to visualize problems using figures or equations, and there is little time given to solve a given problem. Overall, epistemological sources were found to have a significantly greater cause of difficulty than psychological and pedagogical sources. It was then recommended that the teaching guide for General Mathematics build on students’ self-confidence in the nature of the subject by providing problems with a gradual increase of difficulty for students’ sense of achievement.
