Effectiveness of Education Based on Executable Functions (Cognitive and Fractional) in Improving Problem Solving Components in Dyscalculia Students

Learning disabilities almost always lead to academic failure. In the field of mathematics, not only the individual’s performance and academic progress, but also all their daily activities are associated with many problems. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of education based on executable functions (cognitive and fractional) in improving problem solving components in Dyscalculia students. This was a semi-experimental research project with pretest, posttest and a control group. The statistical sample consisted of 30 students selected from Birjand City schools through a judicial sampling procedure and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The students in the experimental group received the necessary training for 2 months in 32 sessions, while the control group received no special program and training and continued with their normal classes. One month later, another follow-up was held to check the training. Heppner’s Problem-Solving Inventory was used to collect data. The analysis of covariance test and SPSS 20 software were used for data analysis. Results show that teaching executive functions (cognitive and metacognitive) improves component problem-solving skills, better and more desirable concept learning, and academic achievement in students with dyslexia. This study demonstrated that teaching executive functions (cognitive and metacognitive) can be used as an effective method to reduce dyslexia and improve students’ academic achievement.