The MathPro battery : a tool for assessment of mathematical skills and identification of Mathematics learning difficulties : a pilot study

Abstract

The Pisa Report (2015) reports that 29% of Maltese 15-year-olds fail to demonstrate adequate mathematical proficiency. As with literacy, early diagnosis of MLD can greatly reduce the risk of consequential disadvantages for the future development of students. MathPro is an assessment battery currently being developed. In support of the MultiDeficit Hypothesis, which claims that MLD is a heterogeneous disorder, MathPro presents a classification model for MLD, describing four cognitive domains within which specific impairments may reside. The MathPro battery generates individual mathematical profiles, where areas of strengths and weaknesses in each domain are highlighted. It can be used to design intervention programmes that cater for an individual’s specific needs. This study revealed that an adaptation of MathPro can be used to identify Maltese students who may be at risk of MLD from an early age. The mathematical profiles of Maltese primary school students, described by their teachers as being ‘poor’/‘very poor’ in Maths, showed weaknesses resulting from distinct cognitive impairments, thereby indicating different subtypes of MLD. Mathematical profiles demonstrating the most severe impairments across domains, pertained to participants in the comorbid group (‘poor’/‘very poor’ in both Maths and literacy). These overall results suggest that MathPro battery can be an adequate tool for early diagnosis of MLD with the Maltese primary student population. Recommendations from the data include suggestions for modifications in MathPro, areas for further research and teachers’ professional development.