The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of visual thinking strategies
on the student participation and academic achievement in science classes by middle
school students with intellectual disabilities. To this study, three middle school
students with intellectual disabilities were selected. Three students were subjected to
multiple baseline across subjects.
The results of this study are as follows:
First, visual thinking strategies had a positive effect on the level of student
participation in middle school science classes. Therefore, it is possible to state that
the visual thinking strategies are an effective teaching and learning methods for
students with intellectual disabilities. Second, visual thinking strategies had a positive
effect on the level of academic achievement in middle school science classes.
Therefore, it is possible to state that the science classes with the visual thinking
strategies are effective teaching and learning method in the academic achievement for
students with intellectual disabilities.
Many early studies on the visual thinking strategies for general students have
presented the effects of these strategies. So, it is necessary to apply various proper
visual thinking strategies for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.