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 tries to address by 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 nine cognitive and motivational-affective variables. Latent profile analyses identified three profiles, with students with lower SES commonly associated with the two profiles with unfavorable learning prerequisites. A linear mixed model revealed that adaptive task difficulty significantly benefited students in the profile with the least favorable prerequisites. 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.