The effectiveness of learning strategies training in the mathematics’ word problem-solving performance among mentally retarded elementary school students

Objective: The present research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of learning strategies training in the mathematics’ word problem-solving performance among mentally-retarded elementary school students. Method: The research population included all the mentally retarded female students studying in the sixth grade of elementary schools located in Tehran in the school year of 2016, out of which a sample of 40 individuals was selected based on Cochran formula and through cluster sampling.  The data gathering tool included the researcher-made mathematics’ problem-solving test. The sample underwent for teen two-hour sessions. The research design was the semi-experimental method with pre-test, post-test, control group and follow-up. Descriptive and inferential statistics (covariance and t-test) were used to analyze the data. Results: Results indicated that the mean of students’ problem-solving performance was significantly higher among the students who underwent the training as to the control group. Conclusion: It can be concluded that learning strategies training has enhanced mathematics performance among the mentally-retarded students. Moreover, this result proved stable over time. .