The Effectiveness of a Training Program to Improve Spatial Ability on the Achievement and Anxiety of Math for Pupils with Math Learning Disabilities in the Primary Fourth Grade

Abstract

The present study aimed to identify the effectiveness of a training program to improve spatial ability through training of mental rotation and spatial visualization, and verifying its effectiveness on improving the math achievement and reducing the math anxiety of pupils with math learning disabilities. The sample of the study consisted of (24) male pupils with math learning disabilities. It has been chosen from primary stage in the fourth grade in some schools of the city of Abha, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The sample was divided into two groups: experimental group (n- 12) and control group (n- 12) with an average age of (112.14) months and standard deviation of (1.94). The study used spatial ability tests (water level, card rotation, and paper folding), math anxiety scale, and a training program that included training activities for mental rotation and spatial visualization. The training was conducted for five weeks with two sessions per week. Using the Mann Whitney test and the Wilcoxon test, The results of the study showed that there are statistically significant differences between the mean ranks of scores of pre-test and post-test for the experimental group pupils in tasks of (spatial ability and math achievement) for the sake of the post-test and in the math anxiety for the sake of the pre-test. There are also statistically significant differences between the mean ranks of scores of the experimental group pupils and the control group pupils in (spatial ability and math achievement) for the sake of the experimental group pupils and in the math anxiety for the sake of the control group pupils. There are no statistically significant differences between the mean ranks of scores of the post-test and follow-up test for the experimental group pupils in (spatial ability, math achievement, and math anxiety).