Download or read book Strengthening Teacher Support to Learners Experiencing Dyscalculia in Grade 3 written by Kayla Haarhoff and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Results from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Annual National Assessment (ANA) provide insight into the notion that learnersaÌ22́Ơ4́Ø skills and knowledge of mathematics are poor. These results indicate an imperative need to improve learnersaÌ22́Ơ4́Ø competencies in mathematics. Therefore, this qualitative study aimed to strengthen teacher support to learners experiencing dyscalculia in Grade 3. The identification and support of these learners are imperative to enhance their participation in society in later years (Taylor, Anselmo, Foreman, Schatschneider & Angelopoulos, 2000; Steele, 2004). When dyscalculia is addressed, these learners can be supported through different support systems, which in turn will help to minimise the difficulties they experience (Steele, 2004; Dowker, 2009; Gold & Richards, 2012; Machaba, 2013). This study comprehensively investigated the support that teachers need to ensure that these support systems can be implemented. To this end, the studyaÌ22́Ơ4́Øs primary research question aÌ22́Ơ¿3How can teachersaÌ22́Ơ4́Ø knowledge and skills of supporting learners with dyscalculia in Grade 3 be strengthened?aÌ22́Ơ℗+ guided the data generation process as semi-structured interviews with Grade 3 teachers were conducted. To answer this question, the following sub-questions were asked: iÌ80́(℗ʺ What strategies will strengthen teacher support to learners experiencing dyscalculia? iÌ80́(℗ʺ How do teachers support learners experiencing dyscalculia? iÌ80́(℗ʺ What resources do teachers need to support learners experiencing dyscalculia? Grade 3 teachers who took part in the study provided their understanding of the challenges associated with strengthening teacher support to learners experiencing dyscalculia and identified various factors within the classroom that challenge their daily teaching of learners with mathematical learning difficulties. Some of the factors include: learners experiencing mathematical anxiety; too many formal evaluations required by the curriculum; insufficient time dedicated to the teaching and learning of mathematics; and that the language of learning and teaching (LoLT) differs from learnersaÌ22́Ơ4́Ø home languages. They, furthermore, provided recommendations on what kind of support they need and raised their readiness, confidence and comfort levels to teach these learners successfully. In conclusion, it was recommended that teachers need to receive more and sufficient training and development opportunities to successfully support learners with dyscalculia; an awareness needs to be created regarding different policies and the implementation of these policies to support these learners; and lastly, different resources, such as the time provided for teaching and learning, need to be addressed.