The effectiveness of learning strategies training in the mathematics’ word problem-solving performance among mentally retarded elementary school students

The present research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of learning strategies training in the mathematics’ word problem-solving performance among mentally-retarded elementary school students.

The research population included all the mentally retarded female students studying in the sixth grade of elementary schools located in Tehran in the school year of 2016, out of which a sample of 40 individuals was selected based on Cochran formula and through cluster sampling.  The data gathering tool included the researcher-made mathematics’ problem-solving test. The sample underwent for teen two-hour sessions. The research design was the semi-experimental method with pre-test, post-test, control group and follow-up. Descriptive and inferential statistics (covariance and t-test) were used to analyze the data.

Results indicated that the mean of students’ problem-solving performance was significantly higher among the students who underwent the training as to the control group.

It can be concluded that learning strategies training has enhanced mathematics performance among the mentally-retarded students. Moreover, this result proved stable over time.