Pedagogical integration of information communication and technologies in rural mathematics education: Enhancing motivation and equity in low-resource contexts

Despite national strategies to digitize education, the gap between administrative policy and classroom reality remains significant, particularly regarding the impact of digital tools on equity in underserved settings. This study addresses the urgent need to evaluate how technology integration affects student outcomes in resource-constrained environments. Guided by Viau’s motivational framework and Rabardel’s instrumental approach, we employed a mixed-methods design to investigate the integration of multimedia tools, specifically Scratch and GeoGebra, among fourth-grade students in rural Morocco. Data were collected through surveys with teachers (n=132) and students (n=148), followed by a comparative intervention involving control and experimental groups. The results demonstrate that utilizing technology as a pedagogical instrument, rather than a mere delivery mechanism, significantly enhances student engagement, cognitive autonomy, and perseverance compared to traditional instruction. Specifically, the intervention group showed statistically significant gains in perceived choice and performance. Distinct from prior studies that focus solely on infrastructure access, this research provides rare empirical evidence from North Africa demonstrating that well-designed interactive learning environments function as equity levers. Crucially, we show that digital tools reduce the performance gap between high- and low-achieving students in resource-constrained rural settings.