Charting Self-Concept, Beliefs and Attitudes towards Mathematics among Mathematically Gifted Pupils with Learning Difficulties

The current study investigates how two groups of mathematically gifted pupils with learning difficulties (MG/LD) change/do not change their attitudes towards, and beliefs about, mathematics over five weeks during which they received two different instructional programs in mathematics. Thirty pupils (16 girls and 14 boys), aged 10 years to 11 years and 11 months, were identified as ‘mathematically gifted children with learning difficulties’ at three public primary schools in Amman, Jordan. Pupils were divided equally into two treatment groups: the first group (n = 15) received traditional mathematics instruction, while the second group (n = 15) received multi-sensory/enrichment mathematics instruction. The pupils in the two groups were matched according to the following criteria: school, grade, gender, IQ scores, mathematical abilities, levels of learning difficulty, and access to teaching resources. The Pupil Questionnaire of the Mathematics Attitude Scale for gifted and non-gifted children (Jarwan, 2001) was administered prior to and after instruction. The findings revealed that while positive changes occurred in the students' self-concept in mathematics in the multi-sensory/enrichment group, students' self-concept in the traditional group declined. Positive effects were noted from multi-sensory/enrichment treatment on students' beliefs about themselves in relation to mathematics; but negative effects resulting from traditional instruction. Exposure to a novel instruction, compared to traditional instruction, enabled pupils to enjoy mathematics and attribute their success to their own efforts rather than luck.