(de) mauvais (résultats) : bad (results)
Mauvais is generally an adjective, and is placed next to nouns and state-of-being verbs (paraître, être, sembler, etc). It means "bad", "mean", "wrong": Il a de mauvais yeux (he has bad eyes), les résultats sont mauvais (the results are bad), ses notes semblent mauvaises (his marks seem poor).
Il n'a pas obtenu son diplôme, il eu de mauvais résultats à son examen.
(il travaille) mal : (he works) badly, poorly
Mal is generally an adverb, and is always placed after a verb. It means "badly", or "poorly": j'ai mal dormi (I slept poorly), il parle mal le russe (he speaks Russian badly).
- "Si vous coupez mal le fromage, il ne restera que la croûte !"
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