TECHNOLOGY-INTEGRATED LEARNING AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN MATHEMATICS: EVIDENCE FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOMS

Abstract

This study examined the effect of technology-integrated instruction on the mathematics achievement of middle school students using a pretest-posttest control group experimental design. A total of 122 seventh-grade students from two intact mathematics classes in a public middle school participated, with 62 students assigned to the experimental group and 60 assigned to the control group. The experimental group received a six-week instructional programme combining interactive simulations, adaptive practice software, and real-time digital feedback, while the control group received conventional textbook-based instruction covering the same content. Both groups completed a researcher-developed mathematics achievement test before and after the intervention. Results showed the groups were statistically equivalent at pretest, t(120) = 0.32, p = .75. After the intervention, the experimental group recorded a significantly higher posttest mean (M = 71.4, SD = 7.6) than the control group (M = 55.3, SD = 8.8), and an analysis of covariance controlling for pretest scores confirmed a large, statistically significant effect of technology-integrated instruction on achievement, F(1, 119) = 148.62, p < .001, partial eta squared = .56. Findings support the value of purposefully integrating digital tools into middle school mathematics instruction and extend prior quasi-experimental evidence to a new classroom context. Implications for teacher professional development and curriculum planning are discussed alongside limitations related to sample size and instructional duration.