Meta-Analysis on Math Interventions 2
Summary
It can be difficult to pinpoint what interventions should be done with students with
disabilities. This Meta-Analysis was completed with findings from forty-two interventions that
either worked or did not work with students with disabilities. There were four components that
were taken into consideration for each intervention. Those were approaches to
instruction/curriculum design, formative assessment data and teacher feedback, formative data
and student feedback, and peer-assisted mathematics instruction. While study has shown an
increase in the ratio of reading difficulties to math difficulties, there are still so many questions
that are left unanswered with students with learning disabilities. There were three research
syntheses that were completed to dive deeper into the “aspects of instruction for students
experiencing mathematics difficulties” (p. 1203). Swanson and Hoskyn, Xin and Jitendra, and
Kroesbergen and Van Lui were the three research groups that completed the meta-analysis on
students with difficulties within mathematics.
There were three criterias were used to determine the study of inclusions. The first one
being the focus of the study. This focused on the evaluation of the effective methods for
improving mathematics proficiency. This was to be done in multiple ways; specific curricula
used to improve math skills, activity structures such as peer assisted learning, and formative
assessment data. The second criteria was the design of study which presented the pre-test and
post-test data of the given interventions. The third criteria was the participants of the study.
These were students who identified having a learning disability.
After the study was conducted, the understanding was that giving explicit instruction was
the most effective and beneficial for students with learning disabilities. There were other
components that presented visual representations to help students illustrate solution strategies for
Meta-Analysis on Math Interventions 3
math problems. Students with learning disabilities need to be provided with a range of examples,
students verbalization, and constant feedback.
Analysis
There are many strategies and interventions that can improve students' with learning
disabilities mathematics performance. The intended audience for this meta-analysis were
students within a classroom who had learning disabilities. The main points of this meta-analysis
was to find which interventions worked best for students with a learning disability. In eleven of
the studies, explicit instruction was used as an intervention to teach a vast array of topics. “The
teacher demonstrated a step-by-step plan for solving the problem; the plan was problem specific
and not a generic, heuristic guide for solving problems; and students were actively encouraged to
use the same procedure/steps demonstrated by the teach” (Gertsen, et al, 2009, p. 1228). Explicit
instruction can be done in a whole group or small group. It can be done with other interventions
or by itself as well.
Visual representation is another effective intervention approach for students and students.
Visual representation is a good intervention to be used in solidarity, but it shows much more
promising results when it is paired with another intervention. Visual representation through this
meta-analysis was paired with explicit instruction. Teachers need to be specific with how they
want their LD students to use the visual representations. When students are given just random
things that they do not know how to use, it could cause serious confusion and problems when
completing math problems. “Visual diagrams resulted in bigger positive effects when visuals
were part of a multicomponent approach to instruction” (Gertsen, et al, 2009, p. 1229).
Meta-Analysis on Math Interventions 4
Another intervention that was used was sequencing and/or range of examples.
Sequencing requires teachers to be thorough and thoughtful when planning. When planning a
new unit for students with a learning disability, sometimes starting at small is better than big. For
example, start with a smaller problem and then gradually work your way up to the bigger
problems. Gersten et al., (2009) states, “early success with new concepts and problems can be
supported by sequencing examples and problems with increasing complexity and ensuring that
students have an opportunity to apply their knowledge to the widest range of problems to
promote transfer of their knowledge to unfamiliar examples”.
Student verbalization is an intervention for students with learning disabilities that
have impulsive behavior and when faced with a multi-step problem will randomly start throwing
numbers together without an endgame in sight. Verbalization is a good way to get LD students to
verbalize their thinking strategies. “Verbalization may help to anchor skills and strategies both
behaviorally and mathematically” (Gersten et al., 2009, p. 1230).
The final intervention that was discussed through the meta-analysis was providing
ongoing feedback. When teachers are provided with specific information on how students are
performing, it allows the teachers to adapt, modify, and change things that were not working
with their LD student. It is imperative that teachers provide feedback to all students, but highly
important to provide feedback to LD students. When students are provided with positive
feedback it will motivate the students.
Meta-Analysis on Math Interventions 5
Application
Mathematical interventions are necessary for general education and students with
learning disabilities. Interventions are put in place to fill in the gaps students have acquired over
the years. This meta-analysis provided how effective different interventions could be with
students with learning disabilities. This study also showed that some problem solving
interventions are better used together than by themselves. The use of heuristic strategies made a
unique contribution to the effectiveness of each of the interventions. The heuristic strategies
found that students with learning disabilities have a lack of ability to organize abstract thinking.
When students were asked to verbalize their thinking, they were at a higher level of
understanding. The peer assisted intervention seemed to not be as effective as the other
interventions. Peer assisted learning involves a good bit of discourse, and students with
disabilities do not have the ability to create discourse as a general education student would. This
has to be something that needs to be taught from the very beginning of the year in order for this
to be something that works with general education students and LD students. While math can be
very difficult at times, making sure educators are using the correct interventions with their
students is essential.
Meta-Analysis on Math Interventions 6
References
Gersten, R., Chard, D. J., Jayanthi, M., Baker, S. K., Morphy, P., & Flojo, J. (2009).
Mathematics Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis of
Instructional Components. Review of Educational Research, 79(3), 1202–1242.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/40469093
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