From awareness to practice: primary school and secondary school mathematics teachers’ dyscalculia-related knowledge, awareness, and instructional practices

This study explores primary school and secondary school mathematics teachers’ knowledge, awareness, and instructional practices regarding dyscalculia. Using a qualitative research design, data were collected from 80 teachers in Türkiye. The results showed that the two groups of teachers exhibited a high level of awareness of dyscalculia and were able to identify the characteristics of students who may have dyscalculia, and the instructional practices they used. Lacking any structured training on specific learning disabilities during or after their pre-service years, teachers developed an awareness of this issue solely through their professional experience. This experience-based awareness was also found to vary slightly between the two groups of teachers. Secondary school mathematics teachers predominantly reported disabilities related to calculation and problem solving, whereas primary school teachers emphasised affective challenges such as maths anxiety. Common instructional practices primarily involve teaching adaptations, classroom-based adjustments, and affective support strategies.