Characteristics of students assigned to technology-based instruction

Previous research has examined factors influencing teacher decisions to integrate technology using between-teacher designs. This study used a within-teacher design to compare students who were assigned multi-media learning objects for learning fractions with students taught by the same teachers who were not assigned to the technology. There were two conditions: (1) teachers were asked to limit the number of assigned students to 25% of their class (N = 375 grade 7–10 students) and (2) teachers could assign as many students as they wanted (N = 149 grade 7 students). In the constrained decision setting, students assigned to the technology were more likely than students not assigned to score lower on a fractions achievement test, have dysfunctional attitudes towards mathematics learning, have low self-efficacy, exert low effort, and be male. In the unconstrained decision setting, 70% of students were assigned the technology and the only statistically significant predictor was prior achievement. Teachers’ criteria were congruent with research identifying correlates of mathematics achievement and comfort with technology.