Investigation of differences in a new electronic test to detect working memory deficits of students with and without learning difficulties of secondary school

The term "working memory" refers to our ability to retain and manipulate information in our minds for short periods. Recent research has linked its function to school performance, and it is strongly supported that deficits in working memory hinder the learning of some students, who are likely to face significant learning difficulties in both primary and secondary education. The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences in working memory functions of secondary school students with and without learning difficulties through the administration of a new electronic test developed for this purpose. A total of 262 secondary school students, 217 without learning difficulties and 45 with learning difficulties, who attended schools in Athens participated in the survey. The results showed that students with learning difficulties performed significantly worse on the tests than students without learning difficulties. The reliability and validity tests showed that the developed test is a valid and reliable tool.