Frontline Perspectives on Dyscalculia: A Study of Teacher Awareness and Pedagogical Responses in the Turkish Educational Context

Dyscalculia is a specific neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs numerical cognition and arithmetic reasoning yet remains underrecognized in teacher education and inconsistently addressed in classroom practice. This study examined Turkish general education teachers’ conceptual understanding of dyscalculia and their reported use of instructional strategies and broadly recommended inclusive practices, and demographic predictors. A total of 329 primary school teachers participated in a cross-sectional, survey-based study utilising a Turkish adaptation of a validated questionnaire. Quantitative analyses (descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVAs, and hierarchical regressions) were conducted across two domains: conceptual knowledge and intervention practices. Findings revealed considerable uncertainty in teachers’ conceptual knowledge, with ‘don’t know’ responses exceeding 50% on items addressing the neurological basis and diagnostic differentiation of dyscalculia. While practices such as game-based learning and individualised instruction were frequently reported, compensatory tools like calculators were underutilised. Regression analyses indicated that prior training and gender significantly predicted both knowledge and strategy use, whereas teaching experience and educational attainment did not. These findings reveal a persistent gap between inclusive education policy and classroom implementation and highlight the need for structured, dyscalculia-focused training in teacher preparation programmes.