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Use of a mathematics word problem strategy to improve achievement for students with mild disabilities

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Date Issued:
2013
Summary:
Mathematics can be a difficult topic both to teach and to learn. Word problems specifically can be difficult for students with disabilities because they have to conceptualize what the problem is asking for, and they must perform the correct operation accurately. Current trends in mathematics instruction stem from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Principles and Standards for School Mathematics that call for an inquiry learning model (NCTM, 2000). Unfortunately, this model may not be sufficient to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Researchers are currently looking at what elements will assist students with disabilities to learn mathematics both conceptually and procedurally. Explicit direct instruction, modeling, guided and independent practice, and providing advanced organizers have been found to help students with disabilities to be successful. Results indicated that students with mild disabilities were able to use the strategy independently to accurately solve the training word problems using division or multiplication. Also, students were able to generalize both the strategy use as well as the word problem accuracy to the measurement of area problems. Additionally, two of the three students continued to use the strategy appropriately to accurately solve word problems in the 6-week follow-up phase. Suggestions for future studies are provided as well as educational implications.
Title: Use of a mathematics word problem strategy to improve achievement for students with mild disabilities.
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Name(s): Taber, Mary R.
College of Education
Department of Exceptional Student Education
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Issued: 2013
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Physical Form: electronic
Extent: xii, 276 p. : ill. (some col.)
Language(s): English
Summary: Mathematics can be a difficult topic both to teach and to learn. Word problems specifically can be difficult for students with disabilities because they have to conceptualize what the problem is asking for, and they must perform the correct operation accurately. Current trends in mathematics instruction stem from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Principles and Standards for School Mathematics that call for an inquiry learning model (NCTM, 2000). Unfortunately, this model may not be sufficient to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Researchers are currently looking at what elements will assist students with disabilities to learn mathematics both conceptually and procedurally. Explicit direct instruction, modeling, guided and independent practice, and providing advanced organizers have been found to help students with disabilities to be successful. Results indicated that students with mild disabilities were able to use the strategy independently to accurately solve the training word problems using division or multiplication. Also, students were able to generalize both the strategy use as well as the word problem accuracy to the measurement of area problems. Additionally, two of the three students continued to use the strategy appropriately to accurately solve word problems in the 6-week follow-up phase. Suggestions for future studies are provided as well as educational implications.
Identifier: 852863477 (oclc), 3361253 (digitool), FADT3361253 (IID), fau:4147 (fedora)
Note(s): by Mary R. Taber.
Thesis (Ed.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013.
Includes bibliography.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
System requirements: Adobe Reader.
Subject(s): Achievement in education
Children with disabilities -- Education
Word problems (Mathematics) -- Study and teaching
Mathematics -- Remedial teaching
Response to intervention (Learning disabled children)
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3361253
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU