Curriculum Accommodations in Mathematics Instruction for Adolescents with Mild Intellectual Disability Educated in Inclusive Classrooms

ABSTRACT

The present study aimed to explore which instructional methods are used in inclusive classrooms for teaching mathematics to students with mild intellectual disability (ID) and whether individualised accommodations can influence their learning. The action research project involved five adolescent participants with mild ID and three maths teachers at an independent secondary school in Australia. A range of qualitative data drawn from semi-structured interviews with all participants, classroom observations and learning support plans was collected over a period of 8 weeks. The analysis of students’ voices revealed that, despite their frustration and discouragement in this subject, they can understand and articulate suitable adjustments to enhance their learning in mathematics. Furthermore, it became clear that although teachers had good intentions, heavy time demands hindered their ability to plan effectively and transform their pedagogical approaches.

KEYWORDS:

• Accommodations
• action research
• inclusion
• instruction
• intellectual disability
• mathematics
• secondary education
• student voice

Acknowledgments

We are profoundly grateful to the participating students and teachers who allowed us to glimpse into the world of mathematics from their point of view.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.