Comparison of the Effectiveness of Game-Based Therapy and Game-Based Therapy Integrated with Cognitive Rehabilitation on the Math Performance and Attitude towards Mathematics in Students with Learning Disabilities

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of game-based therapy and game-based therapy integrated with cognitive rehabilitation techniques on the math performance and attitude of students with mathematical learning disabilities (MLD). A pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design was utilized to investigate the impact of independent variables on the dependent variable, with the use of a control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of male students with MLD in third to sixth grades from a school in Khomeynishahr, Iran, in 2020. A purposive sampling method was used to select 36 students with MLD, who were randomly assigned to three groups, including an experimental group receiving game-based therapy, an experimental group receiving game-based therapy integrated with cognitive rehabilitation techniques, and a control group receiving no intervention. Shalev arithmetic disorder scale and Aiken's mathematics attitude scale were used to collect data. MANCOVA was used to test the hypotheses. The findings revealed that game-based therapy and game-based therapy integrated with cognitive rehabilitation techniques significantly improved the math performance and attitude of the students (p < 0.05). Additionally, game-based therapy integrated with cognitive rehabilitation techniques was found to be more effective in improving math performance compared to game-based therapy alone (p < 0.05), while no significant difference was observed between the two interventions in improving attitude (p = 0.792). Therefore, it can be concluded that integrating game-based therapy with cognitive rehabilitation techniques can be more effective than other interventions in improving the math performance of students with MLD.