GeoGebra and the remediation of developmental dyscalculia to enhance the performance of learners in statistics

Abstract

This study explored how well junior secondary students with Developmental Dyscalculia (DD) performed on basic statistics when taught using the Geogebra-Supplemented Discussion (GSD) approach. A quasi-experimental pre-post control group design was used. Thirty-eight (38) students made up the sample, 21 of whom were in the experimental group and 17 were in the control group. The diagnosis of DD among students was established using three criteria: Dyscalculia Diagnostic Test (DDT), the Previous Test Score (PTS) and the Mathematics Teacher Judgment (MTJ). The Statistics Performance Test (SPT) was used to quantify student performance in basic statistics before and after treatment. The reliability indices of SPT and DDT were established using the test-retest method to obtain 0.86 and 0.92 respectively. Descriptive statistics and ANCOVA were used to analyse the data. The results showed that the GeoGebra-Supplemented instruction was more effective than the deductive method, especially, for students with DD. Additionally, the study found that GSD is gender-friendly unlike traditional instruction, as no significant difference was found in the performance of the students with DD who received treatment using the GSD. The study recommended among others that GeoGebra be integrated into the classrooms to enhance student performance in mathematics.