Motivational Orientations of Students with Learning Disabilities in Mathematics

Abstract

A significant number of students with learning disabilities encounter challenges in acquiring knowledge, particularly in mathematics. Nonetheless, having a disability or being disadvantaged is not a preference or decision made by these students - or more generally, by these individuals; rather, this label is assigned to them by the prevailing ideal society that creates normative classifications for identities. Students with disabilities can attend regular education institutions alongside their non-disabled peers through an inclusive education system. However, providing identical opportunities does not necessarily ensure that these students will achieve the same outcomes as their non-disabled counterparts in the educational process. Moreover, motivational orientation is a crucial factor in the success of students participating in inclusive education. Teachers’ instructional methods, students’ intrinsic motivation, and interactions with family or the environment can contribute to a lack of motivation among students in inclusive education settings. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the motivational orientations within mathematics courses of middle school students participating in inclusive education. The study follows a phenomenological research design, which is a qualitative approach. The research involves two twin seventh-grade students, their father, and their current mathematics teacher. Data is collected using a semi-structured interview protocol based on the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). The findings indicate that the students, teacher, and father all agreed on the orientations of intrinsic goals, self-efficacy, and test anxiety. According to the results, students in inclusive education do not have intrinsic goals related to the mathematics course; instead, their extrinsic goals are focused on grades and self-realization. Additionally, students in inclusive education do not experience test anxiety, although they sometimes feel tired before exams. In conclusion, students in inclusive education do not exhibit lower levels of motivation, and each student in inclusive education is unique. Treating them as identical and attempting to find a generalized solution may not yield effective results.