Performance of Malaysian Foundation Level Students in Mathematical Problem Solving as Well as Gender Comparison

Problem solving is the most important factor in mathematics learning. The results of Trends of International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Program for International Students Assessment (PISA) show Malaysian students are facing difficulties in problem solving. This study investigates the ability of foundation level students of a public university in Malaysia in mathematical problem solving and also to examine their gender differences in problem solving. The researcher used a lecturers' developed problem solving test for a sample of 297 students that they were chosen through clustered sampling method. Data analyzed by using descriptive statistics and independent samples t-test. The results of this study represent the majority of students were not able to solve the problems completely. However, female students had better performance in problem solving rather than male students. Therefore, problem solving skills should be improved among students seriously.