An investigation of mathematics teachers' mathematics teaching process with students with special learning disabilities in the support education room

The study aims to examine the instructional interventions implemented by elementary mathematics teachers for mainstreamed students diagnosed with specific learning disabilities in resource rooms, as well as their opinions and suggestions regarding these students' educational processes. The case study design, one of the qualitative research methods, was employed in the research. The study group consisted of three elementary mathematics teachers working in three different public middle schools in Van during the 2024-2025 academic year. Criterion sampling was used in the selection of the participating teachers. The criteria included being a mathematics teacher in a public middle school affiliated with the Ministry of National Education and providing instruction in a resource room to at least one student with a specific learning disability. The data were obtained through a personal information form, a semi-structured interview form, a non-participant semi-structured observation, a researcher diary, and video recordings, all developed based on expert feedback. The data collected through semi-structured interviews were analyzed using content analysis, whereas the observation data were analyzed through descriptive analysis. The findings revealed that, during their lessons in the resource room, teachers did not progress in alignment with the individualized education plan and were unable to conduct the planning process effectively. Although teachers predominantly used traditional methods in the instructional process, they also employed various methods and techniques that encouraged students to actively engage in mathematics learning. In the assessment process, it was found that teachers did not conduct regular assessments, did not perform multidimensional evaluations, and did not document their assessments in written form. Regarding collaboration, teachers developed cooperation with other teachers, administrators, and parents; however, this collaboration was found to be limited. In addition, teachers reported various problems related to resource room services in academic, physical, social, and financial dimensions and offered solution suggestions for these issues.