A Review of Instructional Interventions in Mathematics for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Abstract

This article synthesizes findings from previous research on instructional interventions in mathematics for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). A systematic search of the literature from 1985 through December 2005 yielded 13 studies that met the criteria for inclusion in this review. The review yielded several findings: (a) mathematics interventions examined in previous research targeted basic skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers, decimals, and fractions; (b) interventions examined in the studies included student-directed strategies, teacher-directed instruction, peer tutoring, and computer-assisted instruction; and (c) research that examines instructional interventions in mathematics problem-solving for students with EBD is almost nonexistent. Implications for practice based on this review are limited by the few studies across a diverse array of interventions. Findings from this review highlight the need for systematic research of mathematics interventions for students with EBD.