Algebra performance and motivation differences for students with learning disabilities and students of varying achievement levels

- LD students and non-LD students of varying achievement levels were compared on performance and motivation in Algebra I.
- LD students demonstrate lower algebra readiness and algebra achievement and more inaccurate judgments of their own competence than the whole non-LD sample.
- Critical differences in performance and motivation were most evident between high-achieving and low-achieving students, not learning disabled students.

Prior research has documented differences in both performance and motivation between students with learning disabilities (LD) and non-learning disabled (non-LD) students. However, few studies have conducted a finer grained analysis comparing students with LD with nondisabled students of varying achievement levels. The present study examines differences between LD, low-achieving, average-achieving, and high-achieving adolescents on algebra performance and readiness, motivational constructs (competence expectancy, interest, and goal orientation in mathematics), and the discrepancy between students' competence and their perceptions of their own competence. Results indicate that while students with LD may demonstrate lower algebra readiness and algebra achievement and more inaccurate judgments of their own competence compared with the whole non-LD sample, critical differences in performance and motivation were most evident between high-achieving and low-achieving students, not students with learning disabilities.