The Role of Concrete Manipulative Materials in Improving Achievement Level of Visually Handicapped Pupils in Mathematics
Mohamed El-Demerdash (2004): The Role of Concrete Manipulative Materials in Improving Achievement Level of Visually Handicapped Pupils in Mathematics. Dissertation, Damietta Faculty of Education, Mansoura University.
Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 11.12.2003.
Abstract
The study aimed at investigating the role of concrete manipulatives materiales, in comparison to the traditional adopted methods of teaching, in enhancing the achievement levels of visually handicapped pupils in mathematics. The study focused exclusively on the unit of algebraic terms and expressions studied by the first preparatory pupils in Al-Noor Schools in 2002-2003. The problem of the study was formed in the following question :
What is the role of the concrete manipulatives materials in enhancing the achievement level of the visually handicapped pupils in mathematics?
This question branches into the following:
1. How could we reshape the unit of alegebraic terms and expressions, using concrete manipulatives materials, in order to be taught to the visually handicapped pupils?
2. What is the effectiveness of the concrete manipulatives materials in enhancing the achievement level of the visually handicapped pupiles of the first preparatory concerning the unit of algebraic terms and expressions?
The most important results of this study are summarized in the following points:
1. There is a significant statistical difference at the level of 0.05 between the mean ranks of marks of the two groups of the study i.e. the experimental and the controlling groups, for the experimental group. This appears in the post achievement test on the unit of the algebraic terms and expressions studied by the first preparatory students.
2. The effectivness of the modified concrete manipulative materials in enhancing the achievement level of the first preparatory visually handicapped students concerning the unit of algebraic terms and expressions.
Key Words
Study Summary
Aim of the Study
The study aimed at investigating the role of concrete manipulative materials (modified algebra tiles) in comparison to the traditional methods of teaching in enhancing the achievement levels of visually handicapped students in mathematics. The study focused on the unit of algebraic terms and expressions studied by the visually handicapped students in middle schools in the school year 2002-2003.
Significance of the Study
The significance of the study lies in:
1. The study helps the teachers and the program designers of the visually handicapped pupils to acknowledge the ways concrete manipulatives materiales are used in some activities - that make use of the rest of the senses - to teach and improve some mathematical concepts and skills.
2. Designing some activities that are based on using concrete manipulatives materiales, and that can be used with the visually handicapped pupils.
3. Getting the teachers of the visually handicapped to consider the importance of using concrete manipulatives materiales in teaching mathematics to their pupils.
4. Presenting a humble contribution in answering the increasing need for large number of studies in the field of mathematics for the visually handicaped. The suggested unit is considered a step towards designing and using precisely measured progams for such students.
Background of the study
The researcher became aware of the problem of the study through the following resources:
- The unsuitability of the books studied by the visually handicapped to the nature of their visual handicap.
- The results of the questionnaire which have shown the lack of a certain framework for teaching mathematics for the visually handicapped.
- The results and recommendations of the previous studies and international projects in the field of teaching mathematics related to the subject of the study in general and teaching to the visually handicapped in particular, which have shown the importance of teaching mathematics for the visually handicapped in a manipulative method that depends on the rest of the senses.
Problem of the Study and Study Questions
The study investigated the following basic question "What is the role of concrete manipulative materials (modified algebra tiles) in enhancing the achievement level of the visually handicapped students in mathematics? "