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Teachers' support strategies for primary school learners with dyscalculia
Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1869484153461800960 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Van Zyl, Rosemarie Clara |
| author2 | Conradie, Karlien |
| author_browse | Conradie, Karlien Van Zyl, Rosemarie Clara |
| author_facet | Conradie, Karlien Van Zyl, Rosemarie Clara |
| author_sort | Van Zyl, Rosemarie Clara |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135637 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-07-01T04:10:22.085Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135637 Teachers' support strategies for primary school learners with dyscalculia Van Zyl, Rosemarie Clara Conradie, Karlien Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology. Acalculia Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Elementary) Mathematics -- Ability testing Elementary school teachers Remedial teaching Academic achievement -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Van Zyl, R. C. 2026. Teachers' support strategies for primary school learners with dyscalculia. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/06c1b961-0d17-45d5-a147-95a1924ef494 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explored the support strategies that primary school teachers in the Western Cape employ to assist learners experiencing dyscalculia. Although international research identifies dyscalculia as a persistent mathematical learning disorder affecting approximately five percent of learners, South African policy and practice continue to treat it as a general learning difficulty rather than a specific condition requiring targeted support. The study sought to understand how teachers conceptualise dyscalculia, what affordances and challenges they experience in supporting affected learners and how they perceive the effectiveness of their practices within the framework of inclusive education. Guided by Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of learning, the study adopted a qualitative case study design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with primary school teachers, an interview with a senior educational psychologist from the WCED and evaluation of key national and provincial policy documents. A thematic analysis, following Braun and Clarke’s (2006) model, was used to identify and interpret patterns across the data. While the data findings align with existing concerns about limited diagnostic training, its persistence highlights the systemic nature of the policy–practice gap. Teachers rely on informal, experience-based practices to support learners with dyscalculia. However, these practices are constrained by systemic barriers, including insufficient diagnostic tools, limited professional development and inconsistent implementation of inclusive education policies. This pronounced policy-practice gap leaves learners with dyscalculia under-identified and inadequately supported. The study recommends the formal recognition of dyscalculia in national and provincial policy, structured teacher professional development on mathematical learning disorders and further research into contextually relevant support tools. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of inclusive mathematics education and highlight the need for responsive, evidence-based frameworks that scaffold both the teacher and the learner within South Africa’s evolving inclusive education landscape AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het die ondersteuningstrategieë wat laerskoolonderwysers in die Wes-Kaap inspan om leerders met diskalkulie by te staan, verken. Hoewel internasionale navorsing diskalkulie identifiseer as ʼn blywende wiskundige leerversteuring waardeur ongeveer vyf persent van leerders geraak word, behandel Suid-Afrikaanse beleid en praktyk dit steeds as ʼn algemene leerhindernis, eerder as ʼn spesifieke toestand wat gerigte steun benodig. Die studie het gepoog om te verstaan hoe onderwysers diskalkulie konseptualiseer, watter gebruikspotensiaal en uitdagings hulle in die ondersteuning van geaffekteerde leerders ervaar en hoe hulle die doeltreffendheid van hulle praktyke binne die raamwerk van inklusiewe onderwys waarneem. Die studie is gerig deur Vygotsky se sosiokulturele teorie en het ʼn kwalitatiewe gevallestudie-ontwerp gevolg. Data is ingesamel deur semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met laerskoolonderwysers, ʼn onderhoud met ʼn senior opvoedkundige sielkundige van die Wes-Kaapse Onderwysdepartement (WKOD) en ontleding van die hoof- nasionale en provinsiale beleidsdokumente. ʼn Tematiese ontleding volgens die model van Braun en Clarke (2006) is gebruik om patrone oor die data heen te identifiseer en te vertolk. Die bevindings het onthul dat onderwysers se begrip van diskalkulie hoofsaaklik ervaringsgebaseer was, gegrond op waarneming in die klaskamer, eerder as diagnostiese opleiding. Hoewel onderwysers uiteenlopende ondersteuningspraktyke aanwend, word hulle beperk deur sistemiese hindernisse, waaronder onvoldoende diagnostiese hulpmiddels, beperkte professionele ontwikkeling en inkonsekwentheid met die implementering van inklusiewe onderwysbeleide. Daar is steeds ʼn duidelike gaping tussen beleid en praktyk, wat veroorsaak dat nie alle leerders met diskalkulie uitgeken word nie en dat die ondersteuning onvoldoende is. Die studie beveel die amptelike erkenning van diskalkulie in nasionale en provinsiale beleid, gestruktureerde professionele ontwikkeling in wiskundige leerversteurings, en verdere navorsing oor kontekstueel tersaaklike diagnostiese hulpmiddels, aan. Die bevindings dra by tot ʼn dieper begrip van inklusiewe wiskunde-onderwys en beklemtoon die behoefte aan responsiewe, bewysgebaseerde raamwerke wat as steierwerk dien vir beide die onderwyser en die leerder binne Suid-Afrika se evoluerende inklusiewe onderwyslandskap. Masters 2026-04-07T06:33:18Z 2026-04-07T06:33:18Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135637 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 134 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Acalculia Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Elementary) Mathematics -- Ability testing Elementary school teachers Remedial teaching Academic achievement -- South Africa UCTD Van Zyl, Rosemarie Clara Teachers' support strategies for primary school learners with dyscalculia |
| title | Teachers' support strategies for primary school learners with dyscalculia |
| title_full | Teachers' support strategies for primary school learners with dyscalculia |
| title_fullStr | Teachers' support strategies for primary school learners with dyscalculia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Teachers' support strategies for primary school learners with dyscalculia |
| title_short | Teachers' support strategies for primary school learners with dyscalculia |
| title_sort | teachers support strategies for primary school learners with dyscalculia |
| topic | Acalculia Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Elementary) Mathematics -- Ability testing Elementary school teachers Remedial teaching Academic achievement -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135637 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vanzylrosemarieclara teacherssupportstrategiesforprimaryschoollearnerswithdyscalculia |