Math and Technology	Lesson 3: Readings (1)	-

Mathematics Instruction for Secondary Students with Learning Disabilities

Jones, E.D., Wilson, R., and Bhojwani, S. (March/April 1997)
Journal of Learning Disabilities, 30, (2), 151-153.

Abstracted by Krista Fritz Rogers

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For a variety of reasons, secondary students with learning disabilities (LD) generally struggle to make progress in mathematics. Consequently, few students attain a level of mastery that supports the application and problem-solving skills that will be necessary for them to function independently. This article discusses effective instructional techniques and encourages teachers to adapt and supplement commercially published mathematics curricula to meet the particular needs of students with LD.

Given their belief that empirical research should guide improvements in mathematics education, the authors have taken great care to link research findings to the instructional techniques and corresponding impact on student achievement.

The article is organized around six factors that influence the effectiveness of mathematics instruction for secondary students with LD.

Prior Achievement. Past achievement (in skills such as basic computation and numeration) affects the speed and ease with which students continue to progress. Given the need for students to develop generalizable skills in the face of their earlier low achievement, the task of designing effective instruction to accomplish this is a challenge.

Students' Perceptions of Self-Efficacy. Adolescents with LD typically are aware of their own lack of achievement in acquiring functional skills in the operations and applications of mathematics. This awareness compounds their efforts to build on their respective level of ability. Their teachers are thus challenged to interrupt a pattern of failure around mathematics with successful math experiences.

Instructional Content. The speed of mathematics skill acquisition and quality of adaptive generalizations increase in direct proportion to instructional quality. Selection, organization, and presentation of content are huge factors in successful mathematics instruction for secondary students with LD. To support students in mastering basic skills and then applying those skills to problem-solving, teachers and curriculum designers should pay attention to the number and range of examples; explicitness of the curriculum; and parsimony (i.e., economical use of time and resources). Technology, such as video disks, and direct instructional techniques, may be useful in relating mathematics content to real-life situations.

Management of Instruction. Using variables such as time on task, level of student success, and content coverage, studies have provided some measure of effective instruction management. Alternatives to worksheets and lectures include direct instruction; interactive teacher presentation and student responses; peer-mediated instruction; and strategy instruction.

Educators' Efforts to Evaluate and Improve Instruction. This section discusses the implications of conducting frequent evaluations of instructional interventions. It focuses on curriculum-based assessment (CBA) as a useful tool to guide adjustments in instruction to meet the students' needs and thus increase achievement.

Educators' Beliefs about the Nature of Effective Instruction. Acknowledging the diverse opinions regarding how mathematics should be taught, the authors argue strongly against constructivism. (Simply put, constructivism's core belief is that the learner constructs knowledge by taking in new information and adjusting his/her existing understanding to accommodate it.) The position in this paper is that a constructivist perspective is "logically inadequate for the task of teaching adolescents with LD...[and] is indefensible, illogical, and unsupported by empirical investigations."

The paper includes tables to support ideas on structuring direct instruction; designing effective activities for mathematics practice; and designing presentation of math problems and student responses.