Adaptations to the teaching of equations for primary students with dyscalculia

Mathematics is one of the basic subjects in primary school, but unfortunately also a subject that students often have problems with. Problems can be mild, moderate or severe. Some students only have difficulties acquiring certain mathematical skills, while others struggle with this problem their entire lives. Most often, students have difficulties mastering abstract concepts, so they have a lot of trouble with algebra. In the master's thesis, we discuss in more detail the characteristics and needs of students with dyscalculia, which is classified as severe specific learning difficulty. Dyscalculia is a lifelong problem that experts estimate affects about 5 % of the general population. This means that in a class of 25 students, there is on average at least one student with dyscalculia. Because teachers are the ones who spend a lot of time with their students, it is often they who recognize the student's problems. In order to help teachers identify students with dyscalculia, the master's thesis explores the characteristics by which these students are identified, possible adaptations of the learning environment and different ways of teaching that can facilitate learning mathematics for students suffering from dyscalculia. We focused on teaching linear equations, which is one of the most difficult areas of mathematics for primary students with dyscalculia, as these students have problems mainly with the acquisition of conceptual and procedural knowledge. With the help of an online questionnaire, which we provided to mathematics teachers, we also obtained information on how they adapt lessons for students with dyscalculia and how they teach equations. Based on the read literature and the results of the questionnaire, we created a manual for mathematics teachers in primary schools. It contains collected information on ways and adaptations of the teaching process for students with dyscalculia and tips and materials for teaching linear equations. The handbook was sent to a sample group of teachers for evaluation and to gather suggestions for possible improvements to the materials, which we then implemented