EXAMINING THE LEVEL OF DYSCALCULIA AWARENESS AMONG PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHERS IN URBAN MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS IN SOUTH KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

Dyscalculia is defined as a specific learning disability in mathematics with some challenges in arithmetic skills, math problem-solving skills, calculations, processing, and remembering mathematical facts (APA, 2018). Although this phenomenon is less studied than reading difficulties such as dyslexia, its prevalence rates are no less and range from 3% to 6% among the world's population (Kucian & Von Aster, 2015). Dyscalculia poses significant difficulties in school as students with dyscalculia have a greater degree of math anxiety and poorer achievement than other students (Kucian et al., 2018). Dyscalculia is a permanent disability; however, adequate support and early identification may reduce to the minimum the difficulties it causes to the child (Sousa et al., 2017). Accordingly, teachers’ sufficient knowledge regarding dyscalculia is essential in identifying at-risk students and providing the necessary support to them in the classroom. The present study examined the level of dyscalculia awareness among primary and secondary school mathematics teachers in urban mainstream schools in South Kazakhstan. This study utilized a quantitative survey research design. Overall, 751 teachers from 60 schools participated in an online anonymous survey. The present study examined teachers’ knowledge about dyscalculia across three dimensions i.e., definition and nature of dyscalculia, its symptoms, and methods of intervention. The findings indicate that teachers have limited knowledge about the definition and nature of dyscalculia as well as its symptoms. However, teachers are better informed about intervention methods than the nature and symptoms of dyscalculia. It was revealed that, on average, teachers at both levels of education hold very similar views about this disability. Furthermore, it was revealed that teachers’ exposure to the phenomenon of dyscalculia is associated with better knowledge about dyscalculia.