K-12 Namibian teachers’ beliefs on learning difficulties in mathematics: Reflections on teachers’ practice

This paper explores K-12 Namibian mathematics teachers’ beliefs on difficulties associated with learning mathematics in school and examines their perceptions of problems affecting Mathematics Learning Difficulties (MLD). 231 teachers (100 primary and 131 secondary teachers) completed the survey. The findings reveal that teachers frequently frame students’ difficulties within a deficit framework seeing students’ difficulties as emanating from cognitive disabilities. Teachers’ identification of potential causes of MLD is discussed. The paper concludes by considering the pedagogical implications of providing additional support to students with MLD and by providing recommendations for future research on changing teachers’ negative perceptions towards students with MLD to optimize students’ performance.