Middle school LD math teachers: are they following regular educational programming or instituting specialized programs?

A review of the literature indicated that students with learning disabilities graduate from high school without a solid background in mathematics. It is the responsibility of the special education teacher to find and implement methods to reverse this trend. Regular education middle school math teachers and learning disabilities middle school teachers were surveyed to determine whether or not these teachers currently use similar instructional methods. Questions included what types of methods each group were using in their math classes. Respondents were asked to indicate if they often used a discovery method, peer tutoring, drill and practice, small group activities, or manipulatives , and how often word problems were included in the lesson. In addition, questions were asked regarding how much time was spent correcting homework in class, how closely the textbook was followed, and whether or not teachers designed their own tests and quizzes. Results indicated that the majority of both groups are teaching traditionally, with a small percentage using small group activities, peer tutoring, or the discovery method. A separate section on teacher satisfaction was also included. Fifty percent of regular education teachers were not satisfied with their current textbooks, but most were satisfied with their training in mathematics. However, teachers of LD were much less satisfied with their training in mathematics. Follow up studies might include the reasons why LD teachers are not using the methods that are available to bring students up to standards in mathematics