Asian Journal of Probability and Statistics

The teaching of integrals in secondary school, as it is conceived in the DRC, has several didactic and pedagogical limitations. In Goma, a city marked by major socio-economic and educational challenges, the lack of contextualization deprives students of an opportunity learning anchor in their environment daily. This study examines the teaching and learning of integrals in secondary schools in Goma (DRC), with a focus on contextualization and educational innovation. This study adopts a descriptive and mixed-method methodology, combining both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The research involved 16 teachers and 295 students from 16 schools. Data was collected from textbooks, questionnaires, and diagnostic tests to show that: (1) school textbooks adopt an official disconnected approach, since local realities; (2) teachers still rely mainly on lecture-based teaching due to a lack of didactic resources and continuous training; (3) students frequently confuse integrals with primitives and face difficulties with contextualised problems. Data from closed questionnaires and tests were processed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means). The analysis was carried out using SPSS software and, for some calculations, from Excel. The open-ended responses of teachers and students were subjected to a thematic content analysis. The findings revealed that nearly 81% of teachers report never having participated in a continuing education seminar or workshop focusing on the teaching of integrals or innovative teaching approaches. Those who have (19%) note that these training courses were very general and did not address mathematics teaching. When asked what teaching method would help students better understand, 58.3% of students cite practical and contextualised examples (e.g., calculating land areas, tank volumes), 27.1% want more guided exercises on the board, and 15.2% request the use of visual or digital supports (diagrams, software). This research confirms that improving the teaching-learning integrals​ at Goma requires better didactic transposition, contextualization of knowledge and sustained support of the teachers.

The article recommends revising textbooks, developing contextualised resources, and strengthening teacher training. In addition to contributing to global conversations on contextualised STEM education, the findings provide insights for enhancing mathematics pedagogy in settings with limited resources.