Assessing the efficacy of the concrete-representational-abstract instructional sequence in teaching basic addition facts to students with mild intellectual disability

Abstract

ObjectivesTo assess the efficacy, maintenance, and applicability of the concrete-representational-abstract (CRA) instructional sequence in teaching basic addition facts to students with mild intellectual disabilities, focusing on the evolving nature of commutative properties.MethodsThree students with mild intellectual disabilities, aged between 8 and 11 were recruited for participation in the research. A multiple-probe design with probe trials across participants was conducted.ResultsThe results show a functional relation between the CRA instructional sequence and the acquisition of basic addition by students with mild intellectual disabilities. Furthermore, the students demonstrated the ability to sustain this skill one to two weeks later and to generalise it to scenarios reflecting commutative properties (3 + 2 = ? instead of 2 + 3 = ?).ConclusionsThe implications for both practical application and further research pertaining to the CRA instructional sequence were deliberated upon in this study.