Digital Technology Integration and Academic Performance in Tertiary Mathematics: A Meta-Analytic Review of Pedagogy and Learning Results

This study aims to assess the influence of digital technologies on undergraduate mathematics performance. A meta-analytic approach was employed, synthesized from 26 independent samples across 17 peer-reviewed articles (1990–2025), with a cumulative sample size of 2,010 participants. The findings indicate a large overall effect size (g=0.978), suggesting that digital technologies significantly enhance academic achievement compared to traditional instructional methods. Moderator analysis indicated that blended learning environments achieved the highest effect size; furthermore, the impact of digital technology integration on academic performance was most pronounced in the fields of Trigonometry and Calculus. Additionally, mathematics-specific software was found to exert a significant influence on the observed effect sizes. Furthermore, the use of standardized assessments yielded a smaller effect size compared to instructor-designed tests. Additionally, no significant differences were observed regarding student equivalence in terms of group composition. The study concludes that the impact of digital tools is contingent upon specific moderator variables; these factors should be integrated into instructional design to optimize learning outcomes in university mathematics.