Individual Versus Small-Group Instruction for Students with Mathematics Learning Disabilities: A Comparative Study

Abstract

This study compared individual and small-group instruction for mathematics achievement among elementary students with learning disabilities and examined whether outcomes differed by grade level. The analytic sample comprised 132 students in Grades 2, 3, and 4 enrolled in learning disabilities programs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Students received either individual or small-group instruction under existing school practices. The groups were comparable in age, instructional duration, and pretest mathematics performance. Data were obtained from curriculum-based diagnostic assessments, student records, and a researcher-developed data collection form. Independent-samples t tests compared posttest and follow-up performance between instructional formats, and one-way analyses of variance examined grade-level differences. No statistically significant differences were found between individual and small-group instruction at posttest or follow-up in Grades 2, 3, or 4. Grade-level comparisons within each instructional format were also nonsignificant. These findings suggest that, when evidence-based instructional features such as explicit teaching, systematic practice, ongoing assessment, and immediate feedback are maintained, small-group instruction can produce mathematics outcomes comparable to individual instruction. The results support flexible allocation of instructional formats according to student needs, severity of difficulty, and available educational resources.