Problem Solving With the Pythagorean Theorem: A Think Aloud Analysis of Secondary Students With Learning Disabilities

While school performance suggests students with learning disabilities require intervention to demonstrate mathematics proficiency, little is known about how they approach problem solving in secondary geometry. Think aloud protocols highlight the higher order thinking skills underlying complex academic tasks. We conducted an exploratory descriptive analysis exploring the cognitive and metacognitive processes underlying problem solving with the Pythagorean Theorem in secondary students with and without learning disabilities (n = 8). Using an established cognitive-metacognitive theoretical framework, we coded and analyzed student verbalizations during a think aloud protocol. Results indicated that, compared to general education students, students with learning disabilities made shorter and fewer verbalizations advancing toward accurate problem solutions and longer and more frequent verbalizations hindering successful problem solving. Findings and implications for research and practice are discussed. Keywords: learning disability, geometry, secondary, problem solving, think aloud analysis