The Effectiveness of Cognitive- Behavioral Play Therapy on improve Mathematics Performance and Perception the Spatial Relationships among Students with Mathematics Learning Disability

Author
Asghar Jafari
University of Kashan
Abstract
Students with mathematics learning disability, because cognitive- behavioral dysfunctions, have defects in orientation and visual- spatial processing, which leads to defect in perception the spatial relationships and basic skills of mathematics. The purpose of present study was to determine the effectiveness of cognitive- behavioral plays on improve mathematics performance and perception the spatial relationships in students with mathematics learning disability. A quasi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test and a two months follow- up with control group was used. through purposeful sampling method, 30 participants who met the inclusion criteria were selected in the center of specific training of leaning disability in Zarandiyeh- Saveh and randomly assigned to two groups of cognitive- behavioral play therapy or control, n1=n2=15. Research tools were the tests of conoli’s Key math (1988) and Farastick’s perpetual- visual (1963) which were administered in three stages for two groups and the protocol of Schaefer& et al’s cognitive- behavioral play to the experimental group during nine weekly, 60- minute sessions and data were analyzed using mixed model repeated measures analysis variance. Finding showed that cognitive- behavioral play therapy had a significant effect on math performance and perception the spatial relationships of students with mathematics learning disability and this effect remained stable at follow-up. Since cognitive- behavioral play therapy likely leads to improve basic skills of mathematics, spatial awareness, visual- spatial perception, space perception, motor and orientation in students with mathematics learning disability, effect on math performance and perception the spatial relationships. Hence, it can be used as a low- cost and effective psycho educational method for improving students with mathematics learning disability.
Keywords
Play therapy
spatial relationships
math performance
mathematics learning disability
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