ICT-Based Instruction for Secondary School Students: The Interplay of Individual Learning Prerequisites, Use of Technology, and Student Involvement in Learning Processes

Abstract

In modern classrooms, recent advances in educational technology are assumed to have the potential to deliver appropriate learning opportunities and bring tangible changes to current teaching-learning processes (Cheung & Slavin, 2013; Scheiter, 2017). However, a lack of access to technology in classroom practices constitutes the main obstacle for educational researchers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the influence of new digital technology in engaging students in learning processes (OECD, 2015). Moreover, the inconsistent findings of technology-based learning increase uncertainty about the mechanism of using technology to support student learning and the potentials of technology for educational purposes (Kulik, 1994, Mayer, 2003). Thus, a more systematic and thorough examination of technology-based instruction is needed. The present dissertation focused on the interplay of individual learning prerequisites (e.g., prior knowledge, academic self-concept) and student involvement in mathematics learning and explore the use of technology in real school settings. Using the seventh-graders' data (N = 2,286) from the tabletBW research project, Study 1 aimed to investigate the relationship between students' learning prerequisites and student involvement in mathematics learning, and in which condition this relationship would change. Specifically, this study examined whether the use of tablet computers significantly moderated the influence of learning prerequisites on student involvement in learning (i.e., situational interest, cognitive engagement). Study 2 focused on the prolonged impact of using tablet computers on changes in student involvement in mathematics learning processes. Additionally, it took an in-depth look at the integration mechanism of tablets in math classes. This study used longitudinal student data across three measurement points (N = 1,278). By conducting baseline latent change models, the influence of using tablets on changes in student involvement was examined and further investigated whether the changes were associated with the quantity and quality of tablet integration. Study 3 aimed to identify how the integration of tablet computers influenced student involvement by exploring technology's potential in supporting adaptive teaching. By analyzing seventh-graders' (N = 2,286) perceptions of adaptive teaching, this study further examined whether the students' perception of adaptive teaching mediated the relationship between the use of tablets and student involvement in mathematics learning.