Unlocking math potential in students from lower SES backgrounds – using instructional scaffolds to improve performance

Socioeconomic status (SES) influences school success. Students with lower SES may face challenges that this study aims to address through instructional scaffolding. To be effective, such support needs to consider students' individual strengths and weaknesses. In this study, 321 sixth-grade students used an e-textbook about fractions. They were randomly assigned to receive either adaptive task difficulty, explanatory feedback, or dynamic visualizations as scaffolds or no scaffolding. We assessed their fraction knowledge at pre- and post-test and eigth cognitive and motivational-affective characteristics. Latent profile analyses identified three profiles. Students with lower SES (below the nationwide average) are commonly associated with a profile that has unfavorable learning prerequisites. A linear mixed model revealed that adaptive task difficulty significantly benefited students in this profile. Implementing adaptive task difficulty in math classes might mitigate challenges associated with lower SES, enhancing educational success and equity by addressing individual prerequisites and learning needs.