Abstract:
This study aimed to find out the prevalence of students with learning
difficulties in the subject of mathematics at primary level. Twenty-three hundred and
ninety-two (2392) students were selected as a sample for this purpose. The term
learning difficulty is not an indication of intelligence levels, but it means that the
students may face problems resulting from physical, educational, emotional and
environmental factors. It included the development of screening checklist for the
identification of students with learning difficulties in Mathematics and the diagnostic
test consisting of four subtests: 1-Pre-number Concepts Test (PNT), 2-Number
Diagnostic Test (NDT), 3-Arithmetic Operations Test (AOT), and 4-Geometry
Diagnostic Test (GDT). Content validity of the screening checklist and the diagnostic
test were ensured through the opinion of the experts of the relevant field. Reliability
of screening checklist and the diagnostic test was determined through Cronbach’s
alpha coefficient which was .83 and .80 respectively.
Descriptive and inferential statistical tools were applied to analyze the
collected data. Independent sample t-test was used to find out the difference among
the students with respect to gender, rural area, low and high achievers. The prevalence
of the female students with learning difficulties in the subject of mathematics
comparatively higher as compared to male students at primary level. Prevalence of
male and female students with learning difficulties was 15.4 and 20.2 percent
respectively. The prevalence of students with learning in mathematics is 15.6 percent.
It was highly recommended that training programme should launch for the capacity
building of the teachers teaching mathematics at primary level. Moreover teachers
have to use the activity based pedagogical skills for the effective and forever learning
in the subject of mathematics.
