THE LEARNING DISABLED STUDENT IN MATHEMATICS: TEACHER ATTITUDES (EXPECTATIONS, CONTENT, STRATEGIES)

This nationwide study explored the attitudes of mathematics teachers and learning disability teachers toward mathematics, toward students with a learning disability in mathematics, their expectations about the learning abilities of students with a learning disability in mathematics, their conceptions of quality content in mathematics, and their use of varied teaching strategies. A questionnaire was used to gather data from 500 randomly selected members from each of the National Council of Learning Disabilities (CLD) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) for intergroup comparisons. Responses were received from 241 CLD members and 256 NCTM members. The questionnaire was based on theories, questions, and opinions included in the literature, and on opinions held by experts in the fields of learning disabilities and/or mathematics. The data were analyzed using a two-tailed statistical test and significance was set at a .05 level. Demographic data were used to determine which characteristics of the respondents, if any, might reflect a bias on the respondent's part.;Both groups of teachers have positive attitudes toward mathematics and toward students with a learning disability in mathematics even though their attitudes differed. As might be expected by the choice of teaching specialization, mathematics teachers had more positive attitudes toward mathematics and learning disability teachers had more positive attitudes toward students with a learning disability. There is no difference in teacher expectations between the two groups of teachers. In general their expectations were high for students with learning disability in mathematics because they felt students with a learning disability in mathematics could be successful in algebra I as well as in geometry. Both groups of teachers accepted National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics basic skill objectives as the minimal objectives for students with a learning disability in mathematics. Both groups of teachers felt that the mathematics teacher should teach mathematics to students with a learning disability in mathematics when assisted by the learning disability teacher in dealing with the learning problems caused by the student's learning disability.