Leveraging cognitive load theory to support students with mathematics difficulty

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We propose that cognitive load theory (CLT, Sweller) may be particularly relevant for informing research and instruction focused on supporting students with disabilities (SWDs), specifically students with mathematics difficulty (MD). We ground our work around the targeted learner group (i.e. students with MD), summarize the most common supports for students with MD, and discuss which theories of learning these approaches align with. We discuss reasons CLT may be useful for informing instruction for students with MD, given what is known about their characteristics. We briefly review CLT findings related to mathematics learning, as well as findings within the special education literature on best practices for supporting students with MD. We highlight connections between these two bodies of work in addition to opposing or discrepant ideas. Then we propose recommendations regarding how special education researchers can leverage CLT to assess the effectiveness of existing and new interactions. We consider how CLT may be further improved to directly support instruction for students with MD. Finally, we identify potential challenges of using CLT as a bridge between educational psychologists and special education researchers for designing and evaluating effective mathematics instruction.