A predictive model for mathematical performance of blind and seeing students

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to explore the relationship among working memory, mathematics anxiety, mathematics attitude and math performance in order to examine their effects on seeing and blind students. A sample of 97, middle school blind and seeing students were assessed on (a) Digit Span Backwards Test (DBT) (b) Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) (c) Math attitude test and (d) Math exam. The Results indicated that seeing students showed more achievement in math performance, and much more positive attitude toward math than blind students. But there was no significant difference between blind and seeing student in working memory capacity and math anxiety. These findings could help provide some practical implications for improving blind students’ math performance and studying their math disabilities.