Effectiveness of EASY Minds on mathematics anxiety and mathematics self-efficacy in students with dyscalculia

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of EASY Minds on mathematics anxiety and mathematics self-efficacy in students with dyscalculia. This study was quasi-experimental using a pre-test, post-test, with a control group design. The statistical population consisted of 157 students with dyscalculia who referred to the Center of Learning Disabilities of Department of Education in Dezful in 2018-2019 school year. Using convenience sampling and considering the requirements of the research project based on Malekpour Dyscalculia Diagnosis Questionnaire, Wechsler Intelligence Scale of Children, the fifth Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM-5), 40 students were selected and assigned to an experimental group (n=20) and a control group (n=20). The measurement tools were mathematics self-efficacy Questionnaire and mathematics anxiety Scale. The experimental group received 14 sessions (60 minutes each) of group training. For data analysis, mixed variance analysis with repeated measures design is used. Findings showed that EASY Minds training has a significant effect on mathematics anxiety and mathematics self-efficacy and this effect remains unchanged in the two-month follow-up phase (P<0.05). Finally, we can conclude that EASY Minds training, as an effective and functional intervention, could be used to improve mathematics anxiety and mathematics self-efficacy of students with dyscalculia.