Effects of Musical Mnemonics on the Division Skills of Students with Math Difficulties

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of musical mnemonics in improving division skills among sixth-grade students with severe math difficulties. This experiment builds upon previous work in this field to mitigate the replication crisis in special education. A multiple-baseline design (AB) was implemented, consisting of 3-4 baseline sessions followed by 9-12 intervention sessions. The findings reveal that the training produced an immediate and notable impact on the participants' capacity to solve division problems involving 7s and 9s, which were particularly challenging for them prior to the intervention. All four student participants expressed highly positive evaluations of the strategy instruction. While this research is subject to certain limitations, it serves as a valuable option to assist students struggling in math during the early stages of secondary education, to prevent them from falling behind in the critical area of division. Further research is warranted to explore the generalizability of these findings and to address the limitations encountered in this study.