The effectiveness of mathematics education on numerical sense and visual-spatial working memory of girls with mathematical problems

Introduction: One of the problems of children with math disorders is the problem of working memory and sense of numbers, which can be increased by teaching math. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of mathematics education on the numerical sense and visual-spatial working memory of first-grade elementary school girls with mathematical problems. Method: The method of this research was quasi-experimental and pre-test-post-test with the control group. The statistical population of this study included all experimental students with first-grade mathematical problems in Kerman primary school in 1399. The research sample consisted of 30 people who were selected by the available sampling method and were randomly divided into two experimental groups (15 people) and a control (15 people). They answered Jordan's number sense test, Wechsler intelligence test, and continuous performance test before and after the intervention. The experimental group underwent math training intervention and the control group did not receive any training. Research data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired comparison post hoc tests. Results: The results showed that in the post-test stage, the mean scores of number sense and working memory in the experimental group increased significantly compared to the control group (P <0.01). Conclusion: Mathematics education is effective in improving auditory-spatial working memory and number sense in students with mathematical disorders. Therefore, this type of education can be used to reduce the problems of children with math disorders.