Students with intellectual disabilities learning fractions: intentional pedagogical actions based on concepts of Vygotsky’s defectology

Abstract

This research aimed to understand the learning process of fractions for two students with intellectual disabilities, collectively with students without any disability. The type of procedure used was interventionist research. There were eighteen subjects in this research, which comprised of Elementary School 6th-grade students, two of whom had intellectual disability/focus subjects. The following data collection instruments were used: 10 observations, totaling 8h20m, and 10 documentary analysis documents. The results showed that the students with intellectual disabilities learned scientific concepts, which involved the concept of fractions, mainly in relation to the idea of part-whole. The study concluded that the understanding of mathematical content, especially scientific concepts about fractions in the educational process of students with intellectual disabilities, can be effective when applied in processes involving intentional pedagogical actions – based on concepts of Vygotsky’s defectology.