The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Neuroscience Curriculum on Improving Executive Functions and working memory of Elementary Students with mathematics learning disabilities in Shiraz

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of a Cognitive Neuroscience Curriculum on improving executive functions and working memory in elementary students with mathematical learning disorder in Shiraz.

The research method is quasi-experimental. The statistical population of this study includes all students with math learning disabilities from Grades two to six in Shiraz District 2 and 4. Using simple random sampling, Thirty-one students were randomly selected and then randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Training in the control group was based on the traditional teaching style and the curriculum patterns that were implemented. The training in the experimental group was based on a cognitive neuroscience curriculum model.

Findings showed that the difference between the mean scores of working memory in the post-test after pre-test control and in the experimental and control groups was equal to 8.740. And F equals 264/26 with a significance level of P≤0.001 and this shows that this difference is significant with pre-test control. In the executive functions section, the average score was 205.337 and the value of F was 2.94. There was a trend towards the effectiveness of the intervention, but no statistically significant difference was observed. Therefore, it can be concluded that the intervention had a positive and significant effect on working memory and an indirect effect on students' executive functions.

Cognitive neuroscience interventions can be an effective way to improve math learning disabilities by highlighting basic math learning skills.