Inclusive Pedagogical Practices for Teaching Mathematics to Students with Learning Disabilities: An Indian Perspective in the Light of NEP 2020
Main Article Content
Abstract
Inclusive pedagogical practices enable teachers to respond to learner diversity through flexible, learner-centered, and evidence-based approaches to teaching to promote full participation and achieve learning outcomes for all students. This paper critically analyzes 17 national and international studies on inclusive pedagogical practices in mathematics education focusing on students with learning disabilities. This paper considers evidence-based practices including Universal Design for Learning (UDL), differentiated instruction, the CRA framework, multisensory teaching, collaborative learning, assistive technologies, and formative assessment, among others. This paper examines the importance of the above practices in the context of Indian education and the goals of the NEP 2020. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has renewed India's commitment to inclusive and equitable “education through various initiatives including the emphasis on competency-based learning, experiential learning, multilingual education, and ICT, among others, and continuous professional development for teachers. The adaptations of inclusive pedagogical practices in the mathematics education classroom in India are thus possible, but only with ongoing investments in teacher professional development, the early identification of learning disabilities, the use of inclusive assessment practices, and the flexible curriculum, as well as the appropriate educational technologies.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Publishing.
Boaler, J. (2016). Mathematical mindsets: Unleashing students' potential through creative mathematics, inspiring messages and innovative teaching. Jossey-Bass.
Butterworth, B., Varma, S., & Laurillard, D. (2011). Dyscalculia: From brain to education. Science, 332(6033), 1049–1053.
CAST. (2018). Universal Design for Learning guidelines version 2.2. CAST.
Faragher, R. M., & Clarke, B. A. (2020). Inclusive practices in the teaching of mathematics: Some findings from research including children with Down syndrome. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 32(1), 121–146.
Florian, L., & Black-Hawkins, K. (2011). Exploring inclusive pedagogy. British Educational Research Journal, 37(5), 813–828.
Fornauf, B. S., & Erickson, J. D. (2020). Toward an inclusive pedagogy through Universal Design for Learning in higher education: A review of the literature. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 33(2), 183–199.
Gervasoni, A., & Peter-Koop, A. (2020). Inclusive mathematics education. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 32(1), 1–4.
Government of India. (2016). The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. Ministry of Law and Justice.
Government of India. (2020). National Education Policy 2020. Ministry of Education.
Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. Routledge.
Lambert, R. (2020). From the margin to the center: A framework for rehumanizing mathematics education for students with dis/abilities. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 58, 100758.
Lambert, R., & Tan, P. (2020). Does disability matter in mathematics educational research? A critical comparison of research on students with and without disabilities. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 32(1), 5–35.
National Council of Educational Research and Training. (2023). National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023. NCERT.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2014). Principles to actions: Ensuring mathematical success for all. NCTM.
Root, J. R., Cox, S. K., Saunders, A., & Gilley, D. (2020). Applying the Universal Design for Learning framework to mathematics instruction for learners with extensive support needs. Remedial and Special Education, 41(4), 194–206.
Sanger, C. S. (2020). Inclusive pedagogy and Universal Design approaches for diverse learning environments. In C. S. Sanger & N. W. Gleason (Eds.), Diversity and inclusion in global higher education (pp. 31–71). Palgrave Macmillan.
Tomlinson, C. A. (2017). How to differentiate instruction in academically diverse classrooms (3rd ed.). ASCD.
UNESCO. (1994). The Salamanca statement and framework for action on special needs education. UNESCO.
UNESCO. (2020). Global Education Monitoring Report 2020: Inclusion and education – All means all. UNESCO.
UNICEF. (2021). Seen, counted, included: Using data to shed light on the well-being of children with disabilities. UNICEF.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Yeh, C., Sugita, T., & Tan, P. (2020). Reimagining inclusive spaces for mathematics learning. Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK–12, 113(9), 708–714