Knowledge Needed for Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities in Mathematics: A Systematic Literature Review

Source abstract

Knowledge and skills in mathematics are vital for helping individuals navigate various aspects of everyday life, from shopping to cooking. Nevertheless, teaching mathematics to students with disabilities is a complex task that requires teachers to employ diverse knowledge and skills to accommodate students’ needs. Past research has demonstrated that most teacher education programs fail to provide future teachers with the necessary competencies to teach mathematics effectively. Thus, this systematic literature review was carried out to investigate the essential knowledge needed to teach students with learning disabilities in mathematics. Data was gathered from two leading databases, Scopus and Web of Science, which yielded 21 articles. Thematic analysis was used to identify and present recurring patterns and themes from the data. The findings suggest that students with mathematics learning disabilities should be instructed by teachers who possess strong mathematical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, knowledge of students, and special education knowledge in providing high-quality instruction. Teachers with solid knowledge of mathematics can facilitate successful learning using diverse instructional strategies, such as concrete–representation- abstract methods and number sense interventions, to help students comprehend abstract concepts in mathematics. In addition, mathematics teachers should resolve issues and challenges they face and support and accommodate students’ learning needs. The study provides guidelines for teacher educators to train future teachers and for researchers to improve the teaching of students with mathematics learning disabilities through evidence-based practices.