Evaluating the Efficacy of an Intelligent Tutoring System That Integrates Affective Supports Into Math Learning

ABSTRACT Background Computer‐assisted educational technologies that integrate affective supports into math practices could be particularly beneficial for addressing troubling declines in middle grade students' math achievement, affect, and motivation. MathSpring is a web‐based intelligent tutor that offers personalised content, remedial tutoring, and affective support for students and diagnostic reports on students' progress and effort for teachers. Objectives This preregistered randomised control trial experiment sought to experimentally test the efficacy of the MathSpring platform in improving students' math achievement and dispositions towards math. Methods The final sample included 53 teachers and their 2003 10–12‐year‐old students from one U.S. state. Teachers were randomly assigned to either use MathSpring with their students (treatment condition) or continue business‐as‐usual math instruction (control condition) for one school year. Before and after the intervention, students' math achievement was measured with standardised math assessments and their dispositions towards math were measured with standardised surveys. Teachers completed logs, surveys, and interviews about their implementation. Results and Conclusions The results indicated that students in the treatment group did not show evidence of improved achievement, affect, or dispositions towards math compared with students who received business‐as‐usual math instruction. Still, exploratory analyses indicated that students with high usage demonstrated greater achievement than those in the business‐as‐usual group. Though no overall effects of this intervention were detected, educational technology interventions with affective supports still hold potential for improving students' academic and dispositional outcomes.