On 4th of November at 14.00 Triin Kivirähk-Koor will defend her doctoral thesis “Understanding different forms of mathematical learning difficulties: a cognitive and mathematical perspective“.
Supervisor:
Professor Evelyn Kiive (PhD, University of Tartu)
Opponent:
Professor Pirjo Aunio (PhD, University of Helsinki, Finland)
Summary:
Mathematical learning difficulties arise for different reasons, so students cannot all be supported in the same way. This thesis examined students with mathematical learning disability (MLD), low achievement (LA), and mild intellectual disability (MID). Two empirical studies and a systematic literature review examined their cognitive abilities and mathematical skills.
Students with MLD and LA had lower scores than the control group in executive functions, reasoning abilities, and verbal abilities, but their domain-general cognitive profiles largely overlapped. Visual attention was the clearest distinction and was weaker in students with MLD. In students with MID, verbal processing was the strongest predictor of mathematical performance; visual-spatial processing was also associated with performance.
More differences were found in domain-specific cognitive abilities and mathematical skills. Students with MLD showed difficulties across a broader range of domain-specific cognitive abilities, whereas students with LA showed difficulties only in symbolic magnitude comparison. Both groups had lower scores than the control group in basic calculation and problem solving; students with LA also had difficulties in complex calculation. In students with MID, basic mathematical skills were most strongly associated with mathematical performance. Mathematical language was associated with verbal processing and geometry with nonverbal reasoning.
The findings demonstrate the multidimensional nature of mathematical learning difficulties. MLD, LA, and MID are not simply different degrees of the same difficulty, but neither are their cognitive profiles completely different. Assessment and instruction should consider mathematical skills and the cognitive abilities related to learning mathematics. Structured, step-by-step guidance and deliberate teaching of mathematical language can support all three groups. Support should be adapted to each student’s strengths and difficulties.
