Using basic number processing tasks in determining students with mathematics disorder risk

Amaç: Bu çalışmada, sayı işleme ile ilgili dört çeşit görev içeren basit bir tarama aracı yardımıyla, matematik bozukluğu riskli öğrencilerin belirlenip belirlenemeyeceği araştırılmıştır. Yöntem: Çalışmada, Türkiyenin Ankara ilinde bulunan 12 farklı ilkokuldan 1-4. sınıf düzeyindeki 487 öğrenciye Matematik Başarı Testi ve Temel Sayı İşleme Testleri uygulanmıştır. Genel öğrenme bozukluğu, kaynaştırma öğrencisi ve dikkat eksikliği tanısı olanlar çalışmadan dışlanmıştır. Temel Sayı İşleme Testlerinde; rastgele dizilmiş noktaları sayılama, domino dizilmiş noktaları sayılama, sembolik sayı karşılaştırma ve zihinsel sayı doğrusunda tahmin görevleri kullanılmıştır. Öğrenciler; Matematik Başarı Testi puanlarına göre matematik bozukluğu riskli, düşük başarılı ve normal başarılı olmak üzere gruplara ayrılmışlardır. Bu gruplarda bulunan öğrencilerin Temel Sayı İşleme Testi puanları ayrı ayrı sınıf ortalamaları ile karşılaştırılarak incelenmiştir. Bulgular: Temel Sayı İşleme Testlerinde sınıf ortalamalarına göre yapılan karşılaştırmalarda, dört sınıf düzeyinde de matematik bozukluğu riskli oldukları varsayılan öğrencilerin, en az bir görev türünde ortalamanın altında oldukları bulunmuştur. Sonuç: Bulgular, geliştirilen tarama aracının, matematik bozukluğu riskli olan öğrencileri ayırt etmede etkili olabileceğini göstermektedir. Çalışmanın, matematik bozukluğu riskli öğrencilere erken teşhis ve müdahalede bulunabilmek için yararlı olacağı düşünülmektedir.

Temel sayı işleme görevleri kullanılarak matematik bozukluğu riskli öğrencilerin belirlenmesi

Objective: This study investigated whether it was possible to determine the risk of having mathematics disorder with a simple screening tool containing four types of basic number processing tasks. Method: Mathematics Achievement Tests (MAT) and Basic Number Processing Tests (BNPT) were administered to a total of 487 students from first through fourth grade of 12 different elementary schools in Ankara, Turkey. Students with a general learning disorder, mainstreamed students, and students with diagnosis of attention deficit were excluded from the study. Random dot enumeration, canonic dot enumeration, symbolic number comparison and mental number line estimation tasks were used in Basic Number Processing Tests. Based on Mathematics Achievement Test scores, students were grouped into mathematics disorder risk, low achievement, and typical achievement. Students Basic Number Processing Tests scores were analyzed one by one in comparison to grade level averages. Results: Based on these comparisons we found that in all four grade levels, students with mathematics disorder risk got scores lower than grade level mean at least in one Basic Number Processing Test. Conclusion: These results showed that the developed screening tool has a potential in effectively determining students with mathematics disorder risks. The tool might also be helpful in early diagnosis and intervention of students with mathematics disorder risk.

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