Date of Award
8-2015
Degree Name
Education (M.Ed.)
Department
College of Education
Academic Year
2014/2015
Abstract
Solving mathematical word problems is an ongoing problem for students with both reading and math learning disabilities (Powell, 2011). As more and more students with learning disabilities are included in the general education classroom, teachers must differentiate instruction to benefit all learners. The current strategies emphasized in textbooks are misleading and too general for students who struggle (Jitendra, 2008). Schema-based instruction is an alternative problem solving strategy, which requires students to identify the underlying structure (schema) which each word problem belongs, to translate important information to a diagram, and then to solve the problem. This project uses cognitive theory as a theoretical framework and analyzes the effects of schema-based instruction on students with learning disabilities and their general education peers. Enhancement materials for implementing schema-based instruction were created so that teachers in a small, urban, parochial school could meet the mathematical needs of a diverse population of students. The key features of the enhancement materials include descriptions of each schema, directions for delivering explicit instruction, example and practice word problems, and student reference materials/manipulatives.
ScholarWorks Citation
Lim, Claire B., "Implementing Schema-Based Instruction in the Elementary Classroom (Project)" (2015). Honorable Mentions. 6.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/coeawardhonor/6
