Digital Tools and Mathematics Learning Difficulties: A Bibliometric analysis (1988-2024)

Students with dyscalculia or math disability experience difficulties in different mathematical areas. Assistive technology is often used to support their learning/ educational needs. As assistive technology is a broader term, the paper focuses on digital technology. The study examines the global research landscape on assistive technologies for students aged 12-18 with mathematical disabilities. It analyses the most commonly used assistive technologies and their evolution over time, identifying leading countries, prolific authors and citation trends. Factors influencing the use of AT by these students are also explored. A systematic literature review, including 624 papers from 1988 to 2024 included in the Scopus and Web of Science databases, was conducted using methods of bibliometric analysis facilitated by the software VOSviewer. The relationship between digital technology (for teaching and learning purposes) and students with math disability aged 12-18 was examined. Based on co co-occurrence analysis six thematic clusters were identified that are related to (1) barriers and different kinds of digital technology and frameworks that address barriers, (2) cognitive processes, psychological processes, and mathematical (dis)abilities, (3) mathematics contents and digital and non-digital resources that supports representation of mathematics concepts, (4) relates to mathematics self-beliefs, achievements, and factors related to achievements, (5) learning and teaching of mathematics, (6) affinity to mathematics and the willingness to learn it. Our analysis shows that there is an extensive body of research regarding the usage of new digital technology in teaching and supporting students with math disability, however, suggesting that more specific research is needed to establish the impact of different types of digital technologies on learning basic mathematical concepts, procedures, and problem-solving tasks.