Abstract

This PhD research was aimed at investigating the mathematical potential of special education (SE) students. SE students often have a severe delay in their mathematical development compared to peers in regular education. However, there are indications that SE students could attain more an that there might be unused talent in SE students. In the research project, two mathematical domains were chosen as as topic of investigation. One topic is part of the mathematics curriculum in SE and is generally recognized as rather difficult for weak performing students in mathematics, i.e. subtraction up to 100 with crossing the ten. The other topic goes beyond the standard curriculum in SE and requires mathematical problem solving, i.e. elementary combinatorics.
Overall, the findings of the assessment studies helped obtain a more complete picture of the mathematical potential of SE students. Finally, an inventory of teacher perceptions made clear that teachers in SE are rather positive about their students' mathematical potential.