Beyond One-Size-Fits-All

This study investigates the effectiveness of analogue and digital reading interventions in heterogeneous primary school classes, examining how student characteristics influence intervention outcomes. Using data from 15 third-grade classes participating in the «Digital Equity» project, we implemented collaborative, student-centred reading interventions in both analogue and digital formats. The study employed a quasi-experimental pre-post design with multilevel modeling and recursive partitioning to identify differential intervention effects. Results reveal that intervention effectiveness varies significantly across student subgroups. While conventional analyses showed only marginal effects, algorithm-based subgroup analyses identified that highly motivated girls benefited significantly from analogue interventions. Digital interventions showed no positive effects, and surprisingly, frequent digital media users responded negatively to digital reading formats. These findings challenge assumptions about universal classroom interventions and digital learning, suggesting the need for more targeted, differentiated approaches to reading instruction that account for individual student characteristics.