Mathematics Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Strengthening Conceptual Understanding in Students with Learning Disabilities: A Practice-Based Conceptual Synthesis

Johnson, Friggita and G. Roy, Finita ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7825-455X (2026) Mathematics Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Strengthening Conceptual Understanding in Students with Learning Disabilities: A Practice-Based Conceptual Synthesis. Education Sciences, 16 (2): 176. pp. 1-23. ISSN 2227-7102

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Abstract

Students with learning disabilities (LD) often struggle to develop deep, transferable concep tual understanding in mathematics due to cognitive and processing challenges, underscor ing the relevance of instruction grounded in strong teacher pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). This issue is critical given widening post-pandemic achievement gaps and increased expectations for conceptual understanding in inclusive classrooms. Although many studies document effective mathematics interventions for students with LD, relatively few examine howteachers’ PCK functions in these classrooms. In contrast, general education research highlights the importance of PCK for conceptual learning. This manuscript bridges these studies by examining how insights from broader PCK research may inform instruction for students with LD. This manuscript presents a practice-based conceptual synthesis of research on mathematics teachers’ PCK, integrating findings from special education and mathematics intervention literature with classroom vignettes and practitioner examples. The synthesis highlights how core PCK components—content knowledge, understanding of student thinking and misconceptions, and instructional strategies—may support early conceptual understanding in students with LD, emphasizing multiple representations, error analysis, and routines that promote generalization through distributed practice. Implications for practice, professional development, and future research are discussed, offering practice-informed pathways to support inclusive mathematics instruction for students with LD.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: learning disabilities | conceptual understanding | mathematics education | pedagogical content knowledge | teacher preparation
Subjects: Social Sciences and humanities > Social Sciences > Social Sciences (General)
Social Sciences and humanities > Social Sciences > Education
Divisions: Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences
Depositing User: Mrs Tulika Kumar
Date Deposited: 11 Mar 2026 06:32
Last Modified: 11 Mar 2026 09:29
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16020176
URI: https://pure.jgu.edu.in/id/eprint/11027

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