Seminar in Teaching and Learning in Mathematics

Abstract: Digital technologies hold considerable promise for improving mathematics learning, yet their effectiveness depends less on the technology itself than on how it is implemented in classrooms. This talk brings together findings from two complementary studies that examine the role of teachers in digitally enriched mathematics instruction. First, a theoretical framework paper introduces the CoDiL framework, which conceptualizes learning with digital tools as the interaction between instructional features, student learning activities, and cognitive processes. Second, a qualitative classroom study shows that k = 14 teachers integrate the same digital tool in markedly different ways, revealing distinct teaching approaches in technology-enhanced mathematics lessons. Finally, a quantitative study demonstrates that these differences in teachers’ implementation are systematically related to n = 367 students’ learning outcomes. Together, the findings highlight teachers as a key factor in explaining when and why digital tools foster mathematical learning and illustrate how theory-guided analyses can connect classroom practice with student achievement.