Diagnostic testing & Remedial teaching in mathematics

1. DIAGNOSTIC TESTING &
REMEDIAL TEACHING IN
MATHEMATICS

2.  In general, af ter completing a par ticular unit/topic you conduct
a test to assess the achievements of learners. Af ter evaluation
you draw some conclusions and you find that some of the
students have fared ver y well and a par ticular group of
students have achieved below your expectations. Now you will
have to find out the causes for this low achievement or slow
learning. There would be cer tain reasons for this low
achievement. Now it is ver y essential to find out the par ticular
area where the dif ficulty lies or the par ticular concept where
the learner commits errors. To locate and identify the areas of
learning dif ficulties leads to Diagnostic Testing.
 Af ter identifying the areas where the error lies, you have to
find out the reasons due to which the par ticular child/group of
students have not responded well. At this stage you have to
play the role of a doctor. If a patient visits the doctor’s clinic
he suggests dif ferent tests relevant to the symptoms obser ved
by him. Af ter getting repor ts he is in a position to identify and
diagnose the disease and then prescribe the medicine for it.
 Likewise, as a teacher, you have to first identify and locate the
area where the error lies. The process adopted for this purpose
in educational situations is known as Diagnostic Testing.

3. i)Who are the pupils who need help?
ii) Where are the errors located ?
iii) Why did the error occur ?

4. 97
– 67
--------------------
37
68
– 61
-------------------------
67
96
– 26
-----------------------
76 Student’s answers are 7 – 7 = 7, 6 – 6 =
6 etc.
You are in a position to diagnose the par ticular concept which Mr. ‘X’
could not
understand. This is known as Diagnostic Testing.

5. 182
– 90
----------
90 883
– 570
--------------
310
Student’s answers are 2 - 0 = 0, 3 – 0
= 0 etc.

6.  Fill in the blanks using the words: 1) detailed, 2) errors, 3) assess,
4) located, 5) identify, 6) analysis.
 The aim of class test is to ......................the performance of pupils.
 ii) Diagnostic Test implies .......................study of learning difficulties.
 iii) In the Diagnostic Testing process the problem is................through
due .................................................................................................
 iv) Diagnostic Testing means to ...............................the problem areas.
 v) In Diagnostic Testing we try to find the area where .............. occur.

7.  If we consider arithmetical attainments from
both a qualitative and quantitative standpoints,
we can distinguish four main points (i)
accuracy (ii) speed of writing
(iii) methods of work and (iv) extent of
the arithmetic process mastered.
* ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS -
i)assess ii) detailed iii) located, analysis iv) identify v)errors

8.  i) Identifying the students who are having
trouble or need help.
 ii) Locating the errors or learning difficulties.
 iii) Discovering the causal factors of slow
learning.

9. Teaching-learning  Evaluation
 Unsatisfactor y per formance of
pupils 
A case for diagnosis  Identify
students who need help  Locate
the area of dif ficulty  Administer a
General Achievement Test or use the
data of previous testing  Identify
Causal factors  Provide Remedial
measures  Improved Quality of
learning

10.  The program that coincides most closely with
the experience of successful teachers and
with a sound psychology of learning calls for
the following steps in the order indicated
 (1) teach,
 (2) review,
 (3) test for weaknesses wherever they
appear,
 (4) follow with remedial drill units on
the specific weaknesses revealed by
the tests.

11. While diagnosis is the process of investigating the learners’ difficulties and the reasons for this, its
follow up leads to actions that may help children make up their deficiencies. This step is generally
termed Remedial Teaching. So you have to be skilled in preparing or arranging for such materials which
may be used to undertake corrective instruction and thus enhancing the quality of learning.
Selection of Materials : The following points should be kept in mind while selecting appropriate
instructional material
 1) The corrective material should be designed to correct the students’
individual dif ficulties.
 ii) You have to analyze the work of slow learners by means of
obser vation, inter view and Diagnostic Testing. A careful consideration
of the three may help decide what kind of corrective material is to be
designed and whether material will be adequate to correct the specific
dif ficulties of learners.
 iii) The corrective material should be graded, self-directive and should
permit students to work independently. Written directions, which
accompany the material, should be easily readable and comprehensible
by the students.
 iv) The corrective material must permit individuals to progress
according to their pace.
 v) The material should encourage systematic recording of evidence of
pupils’ progress.

12.  If remedial work is to be effective, drills of established
validity must be provided for each specific skill which
conditions achievement in the subject. The validity of drill
material depends to a large degree upon the accuracy and
completeness with which the analysis of skills is made.
Difficulties in subject units which can be identified in only a
vague manner cannot be remedied except by chance. Drills
must closely parallel the skills they are supposed to remedy.
 For instance, if mastery of a certain minimal
vocabulary is essential to effective silent reading
'comprehension, then drill on those particular words that
constitute special weakness should lake precedence over
other drills.

13.  Define Diagnostic Testing.
 Distinguish between Achievement Test and Diagnostic
Testing.
 Explain the nature and purpose of Diagnostic Testing.
 Prepare a graded test for diagnosing problems in
multiplication.
 What is remedial teaching?
 Prepare remedial teaching material for enhancing the
learning of multiplication technique.
 Prepare remedial teaching Program for enhancing the
learning of division technique.