The effectiveness of touch math on mathematical achievement and self-efficacy of an inclusive student

The purpose of this research is to assess the effectiveness of touch math on teaching addition, subtraction and multiplication skills to an inclusive student and self-efficacy level of an inclusive student. Moreover, it is aimed to assess the effects of touch math on the generalizability, permanency of student's success and social validity. Multiple probe design with probe conditions across behaviors has been used in this single subject research model in order to achieve the aims of the research. The subject of theresearch is a 7th grade inclusive student with a low level mental deficiency and speech disorder. The implementation process has been carried out as evaluation, teaching, generalization and reevaluation sessions by the researcher one-on-one. During the sessions, the student has counted reference points on the numbers to add, subtract and multiply by means of touch math. The student achieved a level of capability enough to count the numbers without the reference points by touching as if there are imaginary reference points over time.In the evaluation, generalization and reevaluation sessions, Worksheets have been used in order to evaluate the level of the student's progress. Math self-efficacy scale has been used to determine the level of student's self-efficacy as a pre-test and post-test. An observer takes part in the resource room beside the researcher to monitor the process to decide whether the implementation process is conducted as it is planned. Data acquired from the worksheets in the research have been analyzed to calculate the achievement percentage of the student and presented with the graphical analysis technique. On the other hand, the answers that the student provided for the self-efficacy scale has been presented directly. It has been observed that touch math is effective in teaching addition with/without regrouping, subtraction with/without regrouping and multiplication without regrouping to inclusive student. Moreover, it has been seen that after the teaching sessions, the inclusive student maintain these skills in the reevaluation sessions which are conducted 1, 2 and 4 weeks after. According to the research findings, the student can transfer the skills that they obtained to different settings. Touch math is stated socially valid by the teachers' positive comments on the effectiveness of the technique. It can be said that touch math is an effective technique to teach addition, subtraction and multiplication in the light of these findings. Furthermore, it appears that subject achieves a high level of generalization and permanence as a result of the research. As a conclusion, It seems that touch math technique is effective on mathematics achievements of inclusive student in the resource room, while self-efficacy of student has been affected positively and negatively in some situations. Based on the results obtained from the research, various suggestions were made to the researchers who want to work on this subject.