Impact of Using iPads in Teaching Mathematics for Students with Disabilities

This research proposal aims to analyze the impact of using iPads in teaching mathematics to students with learning disabilities. It explores the benefits of technology in enhancing learning outcomes and suggests ways to improve the learning experience for students with disabilities.

Running head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author Note

1
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Table of Contents
Background of the study:...........................................................................................................2
Literature review........................................................................................................................2
Teaching and learning through the use of Ipads:.............................................................3
Challenges of learning for the children with learning disabilities:..................................4
Methodology..............................................................................................................................5
Research aims and objectives:............................................................................................5
Research questions:..............................................................................................................5
Research design:...................................................................................................................5
Data collection method:.......................................................................................................6
Sample size:...........................................................................................................................7
Data analysis technique.......................................................................................................7
Research ethical consideration:..........................................................................................7
Limitations of the study.......................................................................................................8
Significance of the research.......................................................................................................8
References................................................................................................................................11

2
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Introduction
The aim of the paper is to prepare a research proposal for the conduction of study on
the topic of the impact of using iPad in the classroom for the teaching of mathematics for the
students with disabilities. It has been previously observed that the use of Ipads have not only
revolutionised the way of teaching and learning, it has made the education system more
efficient in nature. With the changing needs and preferences of the education system at the
global level, the need for the digital media and the use of technology for the students with
special needs have proved to be significant (Alfonso et al., 2018). There have been previous
researches in this discipline to highlight the use of technology at the classroom; however the
aim of this paper is to identify the issues of Ipads use for the children of the primary level.
The first part of the essay deals with the background of the study and the literature review to
find out the previous students conducted in the field. This will be supported by the proposed
research methodology of the study.
Background of the study:
It has been previously observed that there are number of difficulties of teaching the
students with learning disabilities (Buehler et al., 2015). This is also supported with their
extra time for learning. Hence, they require extra effort and skills to develop proper teaching
method in order to inculcate knowledge to the children in the most effective manner. There
have also been many previous researches focusing on the need of developing the methods and
required skills to cater to the needs of the children with learning disabilities (Alfonso et al.,
2018). It has also been argued previously that the role of the teacher in the primary schooling
is extremely crucial. In most of the cases, learning disability of the students goes unnoticed or
unanswered. Hence it is considered to be important to important for the primary school

3
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
teachers to develop alternative method of imparting skills and education to the primary kids
so that they could easily grasp the curriculum (Buehler et al., 2015). According to the
previous researches, it has also been found the number of difficulties attached to the learning
of mathematics to the children of the primary school. Hence it is important to identify the
importance of using Ipads within the classroom especially for the children with special
learning disabilities (Buehler et al., 2015). It is to be observed that the use of Ipads has
number of benefits like more interaction with the help of the AI, number of application
available for the users which help to make the study more interesting and interactive. It also
enables the users to have access to the MS Office which becomes helpful for the conduction
of classes. The use of Ipads are also important since the use of you tube can make every math
lesson more interesting and engaging for the students of the primary level.
Literature review
Teaching and learning through the use of Ipads:
It is to be argued that the use of technologies in imparting knowledge to the children
have certain positive outcomes. It has been observed that the use of Ipads have positive
impact in enhancing literacy skills by developing motivation, interest, independent thinking
of the students. It has also been observed that the use of Ipads can be used to meet the
differing needs of the people since it helps to give differentiated opportunities for the teacher
to cater to the need of the students (Buehler et al., 2015). It is more helpful with the help of
Ipads since it has the inbuilt system that can assist and help the students learn faster and more
efficiently. It is to be noted that the use of technology in the classroom has proved to be
beneficial since it helps to develop the children’s attention in the studies and improves their
engagement (Chadwick et al., 2016). It has also been observed that the visual methods of

4
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
teaching are much receptive than the traditional ways of teaching (Dunn et al., 2017). Hence
it could be argued that the use of Ipads can make teaching mathematics easy and interesting.
It is not only beneficial to the teacher; it is beneficial to the children since it is engaging to
both of them. Moreover, it helps the students to retain the knowledge that have gathered for a
longer period of time and it is essential for the students with learning disabilities since it is
more difficult for them to grasp knowledge at a shorter span. Hence it has been argued that
the use of technology has a positive outcome in the learning process of the students especially
with the students with learning disabilities. It has been further argued that the use of
computers and smart boards have found effective outcome among the children since the
children of the primary school are more receptive to visual learning (Dunn et al., 2017).
However it is not to deny the effective role of Ipads in bringing positive changes in the
learning process of the students. Moreover, the children with learning disability are more
vulnerable since it is not the normal process of teaching that helps them to retain knowledge
instead they require special assistance even in normal situation. Hence it has found positive
impact on the learning outcome of the students with the learning and other forms of
disabilities (Mourlam et al., 2015). According to estimation, it has been observed that the
total numbers of children with some form of disabilities are 6.5 million (Kaldenberg et al.,
2015). Hence the government has been developing infrastructure for special teachers with
innovative skills to impart knowledge in the most effective manner. Hence it cannot be
denied that mathematics teaching requires a more simplistic approach to reach the students
with learning disabilities.
Challenges of learning for the children with learning disabilities:
There are multiple challenges associated with the learning disabilities children,
especially at the primary level; the situation is even more complex. Hence it has been

5
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
researched and debated to find out the issues of learning disability. There are number of signs
associated with the children with learning disability. It is significant to mention that types of
learning disabilities include struggle with paying attention, lack of focus and concentration, a
poor memory and clumsiness in understanding (Lewis et al., 2015). It is also significant to
note that the inability to listen to the teacher is also one of the issues which are often
neglected or unaddressed. Hence it is not to deny that the issue of learning disability is global
phenomenon and it has been research in details by scholars to find out the possible reasons
responsible for this kind of situation. Issues of such learning disability are known as the
problem of dyslexia (Loewenstein et al., 2016). This is one of the primary issues restricting
the learning capacity of the children. The traditional ways of teaching method is ineffective
when it comes to the dyslexic children of the primary schools. This is further researched that
the learning ability of the dyslexic children in case of mathematics is even poor due to the
inability to differentiate between similar numbers (Montague et al., 2018). It is found from
the results that the learning outcome of the students with learning difficulties have reduced in
relation to the students of then regular learning through the use of Ipads in the classroom. It is
significant to note that the learning ability is enhanced to a great extent due to the use of
virtual media as a means for teaching them. Hence it has been argued that the outcome is
always positive when it comes to developing the learning ability of the children of primary
schools. It has been found out that software and the use of technology can help in multiplicity
of things like mind mapping, spell checking, computer-based learning projects (Prager et al.,
2018). These processes help the children with disability to learn faster and better within a
shorter span. Computer based learning system has also been implemented in many schools
for providing the students with assistive technology (Reich et al., 2015). However there
remains much scope to research on the use of iPad in enhancing the learning capability of the
students at the primary level (Vaughan et al., 2015).

6
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Methodology
Research aims and objectives:
The aim of the research is to analyse the impact of Ipads imparting knowledge of
mathematics to the students with learning disability. In order conduct this research, following
objectives have been formulated.
1. To understand the positive impact of using Ipads for teaching mathematics for
children with learning disability
2. To find out the challenges faced by the students at the primary level with the
traditional ways of teaching mathematics.
3. To suggest some of the significant means by which Ipad and use of technology could
benefit in developing the learning outcome of the students.
Research questions:
RQ1. How can classroom teachers utilise Ipads during maths lessons to cater for students
with learning disabilities?
RQ2. What are the means of achieving better academic outcome using technology in the
classroom?
RQ3. What the role of the classroom teachers in achieving this end?
Research design:
The general approach for the research is qualitative. The reason behind choosing this
particular approach is it provides the opportunity and scope to dig deep into the study by
understanding the information and idea people have. Hence it will help the research to have
holistic understanding of the underlying reasons, opinions and ideas inherent in the issue of

7
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
the research. The method of data collection would be based on interview of the teachers and
the students, notes and classroom curriculum worksheets of mathematics, journal and peer-
reviewed articles. The total time taken for the analysis of the collected data would be
maximum of 25 minutes for the mathematics class lesson and three lessons per week is
chosen to be analysed in order to complete the project within time. (Data analysis has been
discussed below)
Data collection method:
Data collection method
This study will be based on the collection of primary and secondary data. However, it
is significant to consider the way it will be collected. For the primary research method, the
spiral of enquiry approach will be applied. This is helpful in evaluating the data collected
from the taken population of research and their families and communities. The primary data
to be collected are the maths lessons based on the new NSW curriculum. Each of the
activities would be based on the analysis from different website. The teachers would be
taking note of the different maths lessons by taking screen shot on their Ipads which will
make them aware of the different websites for the maths lessons. This will have them the
understanding of application for teaching maths lessons effectively. This is helpful in
providing data by consideration of six steps in the process. This inquiry approach will be
based on the analysis by doing a thorough scanning of the issues, focusing on each of the
components individually, developing the hunch of the issue. This refers to the process of
focusing on the issue of how this particular research is contributing to the situation (Hung et
al., 2017). This is further researched and the new learning is evaluated. The last part of the
research includes the practical part of the research. This is the acting part which completed
the research in holistic manner (Hung et al., 2017). This method will be helpful in deriving
the necessary data for conducting the research. However what is crucial to note here is that

8
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
the primary data would be collected by choosing one particular school as it is important to
choose on particular classroom for the assessment. The weekly lesson would be collected
from the teachers who have been teaching mathematics with the help of the Ipads in order to
understand the learning outcome of the student. The primary data would be based on the
analysis of the mathematics lessons samples of the students with lower grades in classroom
since the motive behind this exercise is to find out the assistive impact of Ipads in the
classroom. The classroom teacher will be discussed for better choice of the students with
learning disabilities to find out the impact of Ipads in class. For the secondary data collection,
peer-reviewed journals would be used for deriving the understanding in a holistic manner.
Sample size:
Participants and setting
This research would be conducted by taking up sample size of particular school which
has the infrastructure of assistive technology of the children with learning disabilities. This
would include the total number of three teachers responsible for teaching maths ot the
students. This would also include few classroom teachers who has the required knowledge of
using technology especially Ipads in the classroom for teaching and imparting knowledge to
the children of primary classes. It would also be conducted by including the interview of few
students in order to receive the idea of the use of Ipads in the classroom. The students would
be chosen from the primary class for a period of two hours in order to an idea of the learning
progress through the help of the Ipads.
Data analysis technique
Data analysis is the most crucial part of the research after the data is collected from
the respective resources. This is the process of analysing the data and converting them into
the required graphical representation. The collected data at this stage of the research will be

9
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
The data would be collected from the observation method. This would also be based
on collecting data from the student’s work samples, some of the relevant photos and videos.
Data collection is one of the most important parts of the research study. For the analysis of
the quantitative data, it will be converted into a pictorial representation while the analysis if
the qualitative data, the thematic approach will be undertaken. The information gathered from
the interviews and the spiral of inquiry method will be broken into smaller themes in order to
effectively use them in the body of the research.
Research ethical consideration:
Every research requires conducting the analysis at different level and it is important to
maintain the research by considering the ethical dilemmas in mind, for conducting this
research, strict ethical consideration would be followed throughout the process. For example,
the seven principles of learning would be conducted keeping in mind the ethical
considerations like the prior consent would be taken before conducting any interview or
group research. No particular symbols would be used for conducting the research and the
prior consent of the authority would be taken. There should not be form of advertisement of
any company in the survey and research paper Moreover, it is important to consider that there
should not be any norms violated throughout the process of research. Moreover prior
permission of the parents is to be taken before the research is conducted since the children are
from the primary class. It is essential to take consent of both the teachers and the parents.
Limitations of the study
It is important to consider the fact that every research study has some form of
limitations. First of all, it is important to consider time is only restrained in conducting a
research. it becomes difficult to gather data within the given data from all possible sources.

10
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Secondly, response received from the respondents may be difficult at times to reach to a
particular outcome since some of the views are biased and self-interpretative. Moreover, there
might be issues with gaining permission from the authority for conducting the research which
can restrict the availability of data for the research. Another limitation of the study is the
classroom disruptions occurring during the interview and observations. This will restrict the
scope of the research since the required data could not be gathered within the given time.
Significance of the research
This research is aimed a bridging the gap of the traditional ways of teaching the
subject mathematics and the new approach of infusing technology with the conventional
ways of teaching. Hence it is targeted towards funding the usefulness of iPad within the
given context of the children with learning disabilities. This research would be helpful form
highlighting the positive impact this technology-based knowledge infusion can help for
helping the students with learning disabilities. This will also be helpful in finding the
challenges faced by the students with learning disabilities in relation to the subjects like
mathematics and science; this research will also be helpful in suggesting the means of using
technology for better teaching outcome to the students with special abilities.

11
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Activities 1st
to 3rd
Week
4th
to 10th
week
11th
to 13th
Week
14th
to 17th
Week
18th
to 21st
Week
22nd
to 23rd
Week
24th
Week
Topic selection 
Data collection  
Creating
layout

Literature
review
  
Analysis and
collection of data
  
Findings  
Conclusion 
Draft  
Submission of
final work

Fig: Gantt chart
(Source: As created by the author)

12
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
References
Ahmad, F. K. (2015). Use of assistive technology in inclusive education: Making room for
diverse learning needs. Transcience, 6(2), 62-77.
Alfonso, V. C., & Flanagan, D. P. (2018). Essentials of specific learning disability
identification. John Wiley & Sons.
Buehler, E., Branham, S., Ali, A., Chang, J. J., Hofmann, M. K., Hurst, A., & Kane, S. K.
(2015, April). Sharing is caring: Assistive technology designs on thingiverse.
In Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing
Systems (pp. 525-534). ACM.
Chadwick, D., & Wesson, C. (2016). Digital inclusion and disability. In Applied
cyberpsychology (pp. 1-23). Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Dunn, J., & Sweeney, T. (2017). Writing and iPads in the Early Years: A Report for the
Standing Conference on Teacher Education North and South. Standing Conference on
Teacher Education North and South.
Kaldenberg, E. R., Watt, S. J., & Therrien, W. J. (2015). Reading instruction in science for
students with learning disabilities: A meta-analysis. Learning Disability
Quarterly, 38(3), 160-173.
Lewis, R. B., Wheeler, J. J., & Carter, S. L. (2017). Teaching students with special needs in
general education classrooms. Pearson.
Loewenstein, W. (2016). Exploring the Effectiveness of the Gradual Release of
Responsibility on Graduate Teacher Educaation Candidates' Self-Efficacy with

13
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
iPads. Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education, 1(1),
3.
Montague, M., & Jitendra, A. K. (Eds.). (2018). Teaching mathematics to middle school
students with learning difficulties. Guilford Publications.
Mourlam, D. J., & Montgomery, S. E. (2015). iPads and teacher education: Exploring a 1: 1
initiative in a professional development school partnership. Journal of Digital
Learning in Teacher Education, 31(3), 107-116.
Prager, E. O., Chan, J. Y. C., &Mazzocco, M. M. (2018). Working Memory and Specific
Learning Disability: Math. In Working Memory and Clinical Developmental
Disorders (pp. 106-130). Routledge.
Reich, J., &Daccord, T. (2015). Best ideas for teaching with technology: A practical guide for
teachers, by teachers. Routledge.
Skinner, B. F. (2016). The technology of teaching. BF Skinner Foundation.
Vaughan, M., Beers, C., &Burnaford, G. (2015). The Impact of iPads on Teacher Educator
Practice: A Collaborative Professional Development Initiative. International Journal
of Technology in Teaching & Learning, 11(1).
Hung, J. F., & Ko, C. H. (2017). The Effectiveness of Creative Inquiry Model on
Experimental Teaching. US-China Education Review, 7(8), 353-365.