Document Type : Research Article
Authors
1 PhD. student in psychology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Associate Professor of Department of Educational Psychology, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran.
3 3- Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Psychology and personality, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction
The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of executive function training and play therapy on promoting the learning of mathematical concepts of students with learning disabilities. Learning mathematics is one of the basic subjects related to learning science, which has been devoted to many studies and theories. Students learn not only to calculate in mathematics. Rather, they learn how to reason and use it to solve their real life problems. Disruption in mathematical calculations is manifested in various ways, including difficulty in determining sizes or naming mathematical numbers, inability to count, compare, and mental and practical calculations. Children with math disorder have problems with math calculation or reasoning ability in math. Due to the difference in the definitions of learning disorder and also the difference in the attitudes and educational goals of these children, the prevalence estimate fluctuates from one to thirty.
Method
The present study was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical sample consisted of 45 third grade elementary students who were selected by available sampling method and were replaced in 3 groups of executive functions training, play therapy and control group. The research tool was Tabrizi Learning Disorder Checklist (2010) & the K-Matt mathematical test. Experiment participants were trained in 10 sessions of 90 minutes. The sample size examined in this research was 45 people. After implementing the questionnaire on the sample, using a pre-test-post-test experimental plan with a control group, 15 people were randomly placed in the control group, 15 people in the executive functions training method, and 15 people in the play therapy training method. In the pre-examination phase, the amount of arithmetic skill learning was measured using the mentioned questionnaires. Then the researcher used educational methods (executive functions and play therapy and common education) for the studied groups for 10 sessions. At the end of the training period (post-test), the researcher obtained the scores of the questionnaire for learning mathematical concepts and arithmetic skills from all three groups (executive functions, play therapy and control).
Results
Findings showed that there is no significant difference between the effectiveness of executive function training and play therapy on learning mathematical concepts (P <0.01). Also, there is no significant difference between the effectiveness of executive function training and play therapy on learning mathematical concepts (P <0.01).
Discussion
The results showed that both executive functions and play therapy interventions have beneficial effects on learning mathematical concepts of students with learning math. It can be concluded that there is no significant difference between the effectiveness of teaching executive functions and play therapy on learning mathematical concepts of students with mathematical learning disabilities. In other words, both group training of executive functions and play therapy are effective on learning mathematical concepts of students with mathematical learning disabilities.
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Main Subjects
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