Rivera D P
Department of Special Education, University of Texas at Austin 78712, USA.
J Learn Disabil. 1997 Jan-Feb;30(1):2-19, 68. doi: 10.1177/002221949703000101.
The prevalence of students with mathematics learning disabilities has triggered an interest among special education researchers and practitioners in developing an understanding of the needs of this group of students, and in identifying effective instructional programming to foster their mathematical performance during the school years and into adulthood. Research into the characteristics of students with mathematics learning disabilities is being approached from different perspectives, including developmental, neurological and neuropsychological, and educational. This diversity helps us develop a broader understanding of students' learning needs and difficulties. Special education assessment practices encompass a variety of approaches, including norm-referenced, criterion-referenced, and nonstandardized procedures, depending on the specific assessment questions professionals seek to answer. Students' mathematical knowledge and conceptual understanding must be examined to determine their strengths and weaknesses, curriculum-based progress, and use of cognitive strategies to arrive at mathematical solutions. Research findings have identified empirically validated interventions for teaching mathematics curricula to students with mathematics learning disabilities. Research studies have been grounded in behavioral theory and cognitive psychology, with an emergent interest in the constructivist approach. Although research studies have focused primarily on computational performance, more work is being conducted in the areas of story-problem solving and technology. These areas as well as other math curricular skills require further study. Additionally, the needs of adults with math LD have spurred educators to examine the elementary and secondary math curricula and determine ways to infuse them with life skills instruction accordingly. As the field of mathematics special education continues to evolve, special educators must remain cognizant of the developments in and influences on the field of mathematics education. Reform efforts have shaped the field significantly since the 1950s, contributing to the curriculum offered in mathematics textbooks and the pedagogical practices taught in higher education courses. Mathematics educators continue to search for a better understanding of how children learn mathematics; this process is shaped by the prevailing theoretical orientations and research methodologies. This special series in mathematics special education provides readers with information about the characteristics of students with mathematics learning disabilities, assessment procedures, mathematics programming, teacher preparation, and future directions for the field. The series originated as a result of discussions with Dr. Lee Wiederholt and Dr. Judith K. Voress, who saw a need for the compilation of recent research and best practices in mathematics special education. I thank them for their support of and thoughtful insights about the development of this series. I also appreciate the support of Dr. George Hynd and his editorial assistant, Kathryn Black, in finalizing the details for publication. Finally, I am most appreciative of the authors' contributions to this series; their work continues to significantly influence the development of the field of mathematics special education and programming for students with mathematics learning disabilities.
有数学学习障碍的学生的普遍存在引发了特殊教育研究人员和从业者的兴趣，他们希望了解这群学生的需求，并确定有效的教学方案，以促进他们在学年期间及成年后的数学表现。对有数学学习障碍的学生的特征研究正从不同角度展开，包括发展、神经学和神经心理学以及教育角度。这种多样性有助于我们更全面地理解学生的学习需求和困难。特殊教育评估实践包括多种方法，包括常模参照、标准参照和非标准化程序，这取决于专业人员试图回答的具体评估问题。必须检查学生的数学知识和概念理解，以确定他们的优势和劣势、基于课程的进展情况，以及他们使用认知策略得出数学解决方案的情况。研究结果已经确定了一些经实证验证的针对有数学学习障碍的学生教授数学课程的干预措施。研究主要基于行为理论和认知心理学，同时对建构主义方法的兴趣也在不断增加。尽管研究主要集中在计算表现方面，但在解决应用题和技术领域也开展了更多工作。这些领域以及其他数学课程技能都需要进一步研究。此外,有数学学习障碍的成年人的需求促使教育工作者审视中小学数学课程，并确定相应地将生活技能教学融入其中的方法。随着数学特殊教育领域不断发展，特殊教育工作者必须始终关注数学教育领域的发展及其对该领域的影响。自20世纪50年代以来，改革努力对该领域产生了重大影响，推动了数学教科书所提供的课程以及高等教育课程中所教授的教学实践的发展。数学教育工作者继续寻求更好地理解儿童如何学习数学；这一过程受到主流理论取向和研究方法的影响。这个数学特殊教育系列为读者提供了有关有数学学习障碍的学生的特征、评估程序、数学教学方案、教师培训以及该领域未来发展方向的信息。该系列源于与李·维德霍尔特博士和朱迪思·K·沃雷斯博士的讨论，他们认为有必要汇编数学特殊教育领域的最新研究和最佳实践。我感谢他们对本系列发展的支持和深刻见解。我也感谢乔治·海因德博士及其编辑助理凯瑟琳·布莱克在敲定出版细节方面提供的支持。最后，我非常感谢各位作者对本系列的贡献；他们的工作继续对数学特殊教育领域以及针对有数学学习障碍的学生的教学方案的发展产生重大影响。
