Supervisors info:
Τριανταφύλλου Χρυσαυγή, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Μαθηματικών ΕΚΠΑ, (Επιβλέπουσα),
Πόταρη Δέσποινα Καθηγήτρια Τμήμα Μαθηματικών ΕΚΠΑ,
Καφούση Σουλτάνα Καθηγήτρια Τμήμα Μαθηματικών ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
This diplomatic study examines Learning Difficulties, with particular emphasis on the challenges faced by students in Mathematics, focusing on the phenomenon of Dyslexia. Dyslexia, one of the most complex and widely recognized learning difficulties, known for its impact on reading and writing, crucially affects other areas of cognitive functioning, such as students' mathematical thinking and performance in mathematics. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the relationship between dyslexia and mathematics by analysing the difficulties that dyslexic students experience in understanding and managing mathematical concepts, and how these affect their performance. More generally, an attempt is made to answer questions concerning both the nature of the difficulties in mathematics of students with dyslexia while shedding light on the broader issue of inclusion in the learning process of these students.
The research data are the answers of students in grades A, B and C to problems and the answers of students in grades A to the story 'When the line met the circle'. An attempt was made to compare the responses of students with and without dyslexia. Furthermore, the perceptions and experiences of students with dyslexia in relation to mathematics were studied through interviews with three students diagnosed with dyslexia, and the teaching practices suggested by a teacher with many years of teaching experience for students with learning difficulties in general and dyslexia in particular.
The results of the research, initially, showed that the students with dyslexia experienced difficulty in their writing. Also, some dyslexic students, although having read the data, tried to solve all the given activities, the difficulties they encountered in mathematical operations stood as a barrier to reach the correct solution of the mathematical problems. On the contrary, when the activity (story) did not require them to demonstrate their mathematical skills in writing, students with dyslexia participated equally and argued correctly, as did their peers without learning disabilities.
Students diagnosed with dyslexia have a negative perception of mathematics and they do not like the subject, they say, because mathematics involves a lot of mathematical operations with fractions, decimals or even symbols, thus facing many difficulties. Although a challenging teaching strategy, differentiating teaching for teachers is necessary nowadays, since there are mixed classes of students with and without learning difficulties. Teachers, depending on the needs of each student, must adapt the lesson and make visual aids that benefit all students.
Keywords:
Learning difficulties in mathematics, Students with dyslexia, Mathematical problems, Mathematical problems, Fairy tale, Inclusion, Student difficulties, Student work styles, Strategies for dealing with student difficulties, Teaching management, Differentiation of teaching
