Research needed to understand prevalence of dyscalculia

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Dyscalculia: News from the web:

Dr Lindiwe Mokotjo, head of the faculty of education at the Independent Institute of Education, said there is limited research on dyscalculia in South Africa. Pupils often find maths challenging primarily due to preconceived notions about the subject. These negative perceptions often inform their overall attitude towards mathematics, thereby creating a barrier to effective learning.

Furthermore, I have observed a direct correlation between students’ failure rates and the existence of an information gap which hinders their understanding of mathematical concepts taught in the classroom.

“These, as well as other factors, could induce mathematics anxiety and developmental dyscalculia,” she said.

Quoting a study conducted in the UK and published in 2021 titled Counting on the recovery: The role for numeracy skills in levelling up’the UK, Mokotjo said individuals with poor numeracy were disadvantaged by lower income levels, increased likelihood of illness and legal prosecution, and a greater need for educational intervention.

“The study estimated that the economic impact of low numeracy skills in the UK amounted to over £48-billion [R1.1-trillion],” she said.

Mokotjo said more research is needed to better understand the prevalence of dyscalculia and to develop strategies for identifying and supporting individuals with the condition.

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