Abstract
Dyscalculia refers to a specific and lifelong difficulty in learning mathematics. Dyscalculia has been observed among students from even basic levels of mathematical studies, and its effects regarding mathematical learning are serious. This study explores teacher knowledge and student status of dyscalculia at a basic level schools in Nepal. It was constructed by using the descriptive survey design. The study consists of 150 basic level school teachers and 500 students from Ilam Municipality, Ilam by using simple random sampling. To explore the teachers’ knowledge about dyscalculia a mathematics learning difficulty test questionnaire has been used. Similarly, the status of dyscalculic students was measured by a dyscalculia screening test. The teachers were found to have inadequate knowledge regarding dyscalculia. The association between the teachers’ knowledge and the demographic variables of gender, school type, and educational qualifications on dyscalculia were not found significant, except teaching experience. Consequently, the study revealed 6.8 percent of students were dyscalculic. Therefore, the concerned authority is recommended to improve teacher knowledge regarding dyscalculia for the proper identification, guidance, and intervention of the dyscalculic learner.
Highlights
Background of the StudyMathematics is considered to be a difficult subject due to its abstract nature
This study reveals information about the basic level teachers’ knowledge about dyscalculia and the status of dyscalculic students at basic level schools in Ilam Municipality so that the teachers could help students with dyscalculia to overcome their difficulties and enjoy, rather than suffer, the time they spend in the mathematical activity
The overall score of the teachers at the average level of knowledge, 406 (54.13%), confirmed that the basic level teachers had average knowledge about dyscalculia, which proved the results of Kamala & Ramganesh (2013).The present study shows that a majority of teachers have no good level of knowledge regarding dyscalculia
Summary
Background of the StudyMathematics is considered to be a difficult subject due to its abstract nature. In mathematics and science, many students believe that it requires inborn ability or even brightness to achieve success, rather than persistence, well approaches, getting support from others, and learning over time (Hong & Lin-Siegler, 2012). It has long been given special attention in school education. There exists a need for specialized instruction and proper intervention that goes beyond existing classroom instruction to reduce negative attitudes toward learning mathematics and improve performance These interventions should focus on sound practice and best delivery of the intended outcomes. They should be effective, efficient, elegant, and must be based on sound principles of mathematics learning, reflecting the characteristics of the difficulty and focused on the practices that deliver the outcomes envisioned (Sharma, 2020)
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