The research, led by Loughborough University, surveyed 1,323 education professionals across the UK, Italy, Vietnam and South Africa and found widespread gaps in training and understanding of dyscalculia – a neurodevelopmental condition that emerges in the early years of schooling and affects how children understand numbers and develop basic mathematical skills.
Although most UK educators had heard of dyscalculia, only 42% said they clearly understood it. Just 3% received training during initial teacher education, and only 20% had completed any relevant additional training once in post.
“Our results showed that access to training in the UK was similar to our comparison countries of Vietnam and South Africa, and lower than in Italy,” said lead author Dr Alison Roulstone, a Research Associate in Loughborough University’s Department of Mathematics Education.
“We were aware that dyscalculia was a relatively neglected condition in terms of diagnosis rates and official recognition. However, our study is the first to provide actual statistics to demonstrate this.
“Educators in all countries included in our study had much better access to training in dyslexia than in dyscalculia. This is despite the fact that the consequences of dyscalculia for people’s educational prospects and wellbeing are at least as serious as the consequences of dyslexia.”
Previous studies have found that because mathematics is a core subject and a gateway to many science, technology and engineering pathways, dyscalculia can – without appropriate support – limit further study and career prospects. The condition can also make everyday tasks such as telling the time, handling money, estimating durations, and recalling number facts feel overwhelming, and people with dyscalculia are at increased risk of anxiety and low self-esteem.
Because teachers work closely with children and teach mathematics, they are often best placed to recognise early signs of dyscalculia and enable early support and intervention.
However, the latest study found that, due to limited training, there are significant dyscalculia knowledge gaps among educators, including widespread underestimation of how common the condition is – something the researchers warn may reduce early recognition and referrals. A small proportion of educators also held misconceptions, including that all learners with dyscalculia have the same difficulties or that dyscalculia is another name for maths anxiety.
The findings, published in the Neurodiversity journal, coincide with the publication of the UK Government’s new ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ policy paper, which acknowledges SEND (special educational needs and disability) training should be made a priority and emphasises the importance of school-based identification and support.
Researchers at Loughborough hope their findings and the policy paper will strengthen national recognition of dyscalculia, expand teacher training, and support routine school-based screening, addressing the current lack of a consistent UK-wide identification approach.
“Our findings not only show a lack of training but also demonstrate that teachers who had access to training – even in the form of a brief Continuing Professional Development (CPD) session – show better knowledge and understanding of dyscalculia, which is essential for better classroom support,” said Dr Roulstone.
“Practitioners require greater access to training on dyscalculia, so that they can feel confident in identifying and offering support to learners with mathematics learning difficulties. Better access to training will help to support earlier identification and improve educational outcomes.”
The study, titled ‘What do educators know about Dyscalculia in the UK, Italy, Vietnam and South Africa?’, can be read in full online. It was conducted in collaboration with researchers from Vietnam National University, University of Bologna, and North-West University in South Africa.
The Loughborough research team is developing new teacher training materials, screening tools, and classroom interventions to support earlier identification and more effective support for learners with dyscalculia. Information on Numeralis – their evidence-based, affordable and easy-to-use dyscalculia screening tool – can be found on the dedicated webpage.