How do help-seeking and help-abuse affect learning achievement in an interactive learning environment?

• The ILE offered step-by-step hints and strategic help for the conversion of numbers • Self-reported help-abuse mediated the effect of observed help-seeking on learning • Only the increased use of step-by-step hints negatively affected learning • Prior knowledge moderated the influence of academic self-concept on help-seeking • The study suggests that ILEs should particularly encourage the use of strategic help Students' help-seeking behavior plays a central role in successful learning with interactive learning environments (ILEs), such as intelligent tutoring systems that provide on-demand help, including step-by-step hints or strategic help for solving mathematics problems. However, learners can also abuse the help offered when trying to successfully complete an ILE by using the hints provided primarily to find the required solution with as little effort as possible, rather than using the hints to support their learning efforts. This type of help abuse by learners undermines the purpose of an ILE. The present study investigated the extent to which self-reported help-abuse of 322 student teachers mediates the effect of observed help-seeking on learning number conversion in an ILE. Further, we examined the moderating effects of prior knowledge and academic self-concept in mathematics (MSC) on the effects of help-seeking and help-abuse on learning. The results showed that increased help-seeking had a significant negative impact on learning achievement. However, this could only be observed for the use of step-by-step hints, but not for the use of strategic help. The extent of self-reported help-abuse largely mediated the negative influence of observed help-seeking on learning achievement. The study indicates that step-by-step hints in ILEs could be faded out in the learning process and that more emphasis should be placed on strategic help that encourages self-explanations.