Comparison of the Different Presentations of Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) Sequence to Teach Functional Academic Skills for Students with Developmental Retardation

Abstract

The research aims to compare the use of 3D materials and video prompting presentations in terms of their effectiveness and efficiency in implementing the CRA teaching strategy. Four students with developmental retardation, aged 8 to 10, participated in the study. The design of the alternating treatment, one of the single-subject research designs, was employed in the research. In addition, in the research, social validity data were collected with the interview form consisting of semi-structured interview questions, and content analysis was performed. The study’s dependent variables are the subjects’ ability to accurately tell the time and recognize money. There are two independent variables in the study. The first independent variable is the presentation of the CRA teaching strategy with 3D materials, and the second independent variable is the presentation of the CRA teaching strategy with video prompting. Functional academic skills teaching was applied to four selected students alternately using 3D materials and video prompting. A total of 135 sessions took place in the experimental process. As a result of the research, it was found that both presentation styles were effective, but video prompting presentation was more efficient. These results show that the CRA teaching strategy with video prompting can be used to teach functional academic skills to students with developmental retardation. Both teachers and families expressed positive opinions about the skills handled by both methods. The use of video prompting in schools and homes can be beneficial when teaching functional academic skills to individuals with special needs.