The Effectiveness of a Comprehensive Intervention on Word Problem Solving for Elementary School Students with ADHD: POVM + Schema Based Word Problem Solving

Abstract

When core mathematic instruction is not enough to address skill deficits of students with ADHD, more intensive interventions are required to support student learning and comprehensive interventions with strong instructional components may use to help improve achievement of students with mathematics difficulties. As individual components are found effective according to the literature, a combination of interventions may be used to develop a comprehensive treatment to enhance outcome for students with wide-ranging academic deficits in ADHD. This study aimed to extend the use of VBI by using POVM, schema based-word problem solving method and peer tutoring to teach change, group, and compare type addition-subtraction word problem solving to students with ADHD. The instruction was anchored in use of concrete representations of schema to model conceptual understanding of word problem solving. The video presentation of the instruction via POVM allows for development of procedural knowledge as participants can view instruction of problem-solving steps. A single-case multiple probe across participants, experimental design was used with three participants. Participants were given a laptop connected to headphones. The video was preloaded on the laptop and participants started and stopped the intervention independently. After watching the video, participants completed the three different types of word addition and subtraction problems independently. Sessions were monitored and videotaped by the author to ensure videos were viewed in their entirety and at least two weeks after completion of the intervention, participants were given a maintenance assessment. All participants were successful and shared that they enjoyed learning about word problem solving using the video instruction, supporting the social validity of this intervention.