In this theoretical essay, I build on complexity theory and commognition to theorize the ways in which failure to teach/learn mathematics (FTLM) emerges through the dynamic interactions among teacher, learner, and curriculum demands. I focus on two main concepts of complexity theory: emergence in dynamic systems and attractor states (stable,…

Children with mathematical difficulties need to spend more time than typically achieving children on solving even simple equations. Since these tasks already require a larger share of their cognitive resources, additional demands imposed by the need to switch between tasks may lead to a greater decline of performance in children with mathematical…

The purpose of this study is to electrophysiologically assess the effect of an individualized education program supported with musical activities on the success of primary school students with computational difficulties. A mixed-methods design consisting of qualitative and quantitative methods was employed as the research model. The research group…

The focus of this article is the well documented association between low working memory capacity and difficulty with mathematical word-problem solving. We begin by describing a model that specifies how various cognitive resources, including working memory, contribute to individual differences in word-problem solving and by then summarizing…

Problematic learning situations (PLS) arise when students encounter learning difficulties and their teacher encounters difficulties assisting them. The current study looks at student and teacher difficulties revealed during PLS, in the course of instruction of basic geometrical concepts for average and below-average junior high school students,…

Mathematics problems that are unfamiliar to students and contain multiple sets of information can overwhelm many struggling learners (Swanson & Beebe-Frankenberger, 2004). Academic interventions utilising visual representations can support students who are struggling to remember information and think through challenging multi-step problems…

This secondary analysis of data from a randomized control trial of an early mathematics intervention, ROOTS, explored whether patterns of intervention response were best categorized by the typical response/non-response binary or a more complex framework with additional response profiles. Participants included kindergarten students at risk for…

The focus of this article is the well documented association between low working memory capacity and difficulty with mathematical word-problem solving. We begin by describing a model that specifies how various cognitive resources, including working memory, contribute to individual differences in word-problem solving and by then summarizing…

Schematic chunks denote patterns, schemes, or sophisticated rules and knowledge stored in the long-term memory in the form of chunks. We investigated whether schematic chunking is effective in improving the performance of students with math difficulties (MD) and students at risk of math failure, and how the complexity level of geometry problems…

Teachers' diagnostic practice on students-difficulties is one of the important steps in designing and managing classroom lessons. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' perception and practices regarding diagnosing students' learning difficulties. The participants of the study were 28 Indonesian mathematics teachers of Junior High…

Tablets have much to offer children with learning difficulties, but evidence of their effectiveness to teach academic skills is limited and cannot be easily separated from the quality of the software. This paper analyses data from 3 iterative cycles of designing an app for children with Down syndrome to support their awareness of quantity through…

To deepen our understanding of those aspects of problems that cause the most difficulty for solvers, this study integrated eye-tracking with handwriting devices to investigate problem solvers' online processes while solving geometry problems. We are interested in whether the difference between successful and unsuccessful solvers can be identified…

The purpose of the study was to explore the cognitive profiles associated with inadequate responsiveness to fractions intervention on 3 fractions outcomes (calculations, ordering, and word problems). At the start of 3rd grade, 2 cohorts of students (N = 124) identified at the start of intervention as at-risk for mathematics difficulties were…

This study investigated whether a latent class of children with math difficulties (MD) or math learning disabilities (MLD) emerged within a heterogeneous sample of learners. A latent class analysis was computed on children (N = 447) in Grade 3 who were administered a battery of math, reading, and cognitive measures. The analysis yielded four…

There is a reciprocal relationship between mathematics and reading cognition. Metacognitive training within reading-enhanced problem solving should facilitate students developing an awareness of what good readers do when reading for meaning in solving mathematical problems enabling them to apply these strategies. The constructs for each cognitive…