Learning Disabilities and Mathematics

¶ … Improve Mathematic Performance for Children With Learning Difficulties, and Their Effectiveness

One of the basic requirements in life is to have an adequate aptitude in mathematics as this is crucial in carrying out everyday actions which includes drawing up a budget for time and finances, playing with numbers and checking the time. Apart from these, proper knowledge of mathematics helps promote lasting cognitive, workplace, scholastic and body-related well-being and all these combine to boost the economic standing of nations. From previous studies, it has been established that about a fifth of scholars have poor skills with numbers and a range of 4 to 14% have been diagnosed with problems in learning mathematics, with the range due to selected methods of grouping (Furlong et al., 2016). (For this paper, the word 'students' means kids below the age of eighteen who currently attend mathematics classes in a recognized school). With variations due to the mode of research i.e. intervention studies or mathematical cognition, students with these problems are said to be suffering from mathematical disability, mathematical learning disabilities (MLD), mathematical learning difficulties or developmental dyscalculia.

Difficulties in understanding singular or a group of mathematical concepts bordering from simple number operations to more complex algebraic and geometric calculations are common symptoms of MLD. Till today, MLD researches have narrowed their scope to the reasons for problems in understanding the simple parts of mathematics and always leave out the complex parts (Fischer et al., 2013). Some of the simple mathematical skills are arithmetical strength and basic proficiency with numbers. Having problems with solving basic mathematics problems could be due to poor strength in estimating quantity and in the application of the mental calculator; little understanding of the processes involving in counting or favouring ineffective counting processes or even both; problems in mastering the basics of the Base-10 system; challenges in relating analogue measurements, numbers in numerals and in words and finally, problems with applying the results from a calculation to another. Arithmetical strength is the measure of a person's base proficiency in number operations such as multiplication, division, addition and subtraction as well as the person's ability to bring out meaning from word problems.

Statement of the Problem

It is no longer news that several scholars do not like mathematics and some in fact detest the subject (Marks, 2014). Severally, students skip maths classes in schools and even a large number of those who don't, do not listen whenever the lecture is on-going. Outside the classroom, it is rare to see a student working on mathematical problems or doing further reading on it. If possible, several students would gladly take the option of distancing themselves from mathematics (Sa'ad, Adamu & Sadiq, 2014). This trend has caused low grades in mathematics assessments. Thus, we can conclude that student-related learning problems are the major factors worsening this condition and the inherent dislike among students for mathematics is the main cause of low grades in its assessments. As a result of this and the importance of mathematics in enhancing better quality of living, we need to implement mechanisms effected by our teachers which aims at increasing the love for the subject, an action which should cause a related improvement in student grades.

Guiding Questions

What are the processes applied by teachers in improving the understanding of mathematics in students who find it difficult to learn?

Are the methods applied by teachers in improving the understanding of mathematics in students who have MLD effective?

Literature review

Providing therapy for students who suffer from MLD is a complicated affair as MLD has several forms with each one different in terms of complexity, symptoms and believed causes, which generally tends to be poorly developed mathematical abilities or could be related to more general factors which affect mathematical strength including class conduct, previous mathematical proficiency, nervousness, poor memory and attention problems (Furlong et al., 2016; Marks, 2014). A large number of researches even until today have focused on the creation and assessment of specialized mathematics training where number operations are taught to students. Some of these trainings include;

1. Specialized mathematics training

2. Mental and interactive training

3. Pharmacological trainings

4. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) technologies

5. Combined trainings where any a minimum of two of the above trainings are taken together.

With this in mind, it could be helpful to recall, that the preceding studies and analyses of specialized mathematics trainings all came back with non-correlating data and a wide range of effects (-0.44 to greater than 3) (Fischer et al., 2013; Kaufmann & Von Aster, 2012). Thus, the questions of how much effect these specialized trainings have as well as the go-to factors causing the variety in observed results are not yet fully answered. Differences in the students and the training patterns could be a cause. Let's consider this example; one of the studies focused on students suffering from a special MLD unlike the others which did not apply any restrictions on the selected children based on the form of MLD they suffered (special or general) (Codding, Burns & Lukito, 2011; Gersten et al., 2009). Also, most of the studies with few exceptions like Gersten et al. (2009) carried out combined influence examinations on different training patterns such as; pre-post studies, RCTs, single-case designs and unmatched controlled research. Thus, the studies had different effectiveness though single-case designs gave quite high results in this area. Gersten et al. (2009) worked with RCTs and training methods and it combined their effects.

Furthermore, even though several RCTs give evidence that these training could have better effects on students suffering from MLD than the use of physical devices, not all the children benefit from this training (Ise et al., 2012). Just as we initially stated, the variety of MLD as well as the poor determination of the problems specific to each child by the use of specially-developed mathematics tests could reduce the efficacy of a general training in addressing every student's problems. Therefore, checking for the more effective training method, either group or personal and also checking which of combined and singular trainings are more effective could be crucial.

The unequal effectiveness rates could equally be caused by more training and number of participants. For example; the facts backing the link between the amounts of effectiveness recorded and the length and concentration of training are varied. Two of the studies stated that trainings with short durations recorded greater effects (Gersten et al., 2009); one couldn't locate any link between the two variables (Fischer et al., 2013); while the thorough analysis carried out in Codding et al. (2011) revealed that intense and combined trainings (minimum of three elements) not lasting up to 30 sessions gave more noticeable effects. For the variable of individual student's features, older students had lower recorded improvement based on these trainings compared to the younger ones (Gersten et al., 2009). Moreso, inconclusive research has shown that gender, location or socioeconomic discrimination could cause lesser effects of specialized mathematics trainings (Furlong et al., 2016).