Utilizing Learning-Analytics-Based Activities as a Bridge to Enhance Elementary Students’ Mathematical Learning

Abstract

Decimal misconceptions are a persistent challenge in mathematics education, often hindering students’ long-term understanding. This study examines how learning analytics (LA) can be effectively integrated into instructional sequences to address these misconceptions, providing teachers with real-time insights for formative assessment. Despite the growing presence of technology in education, LA remains underutilized at the primary level. The study involved 235 fifth- and sixth-grade students completing decimal number tasks through a Moodle-based platform. Students were assigned to one of three conditions: tasks based on correct examples (CE tasks, n = 79), erroneous examples (n = 80), or no tasks (control group, n = 76). Results indicate that example-based tasks significantly improve learning outcomes, particularly for students with lower prior knowledge, who benefited more from CE tasks. LA data effectively predicted student performance, demonstrating its potential as a formative assessment tool. Importantly, results suggest that the observed effects were consistent across male and female students. These findings highlight the need to integrate LA into daily teaching practice, enabling educators to identify misconceptions and tailor instruction accordingly. Given the positive student reception and the efficiency of LA-driven interventions, this study underscores its relevance for policy decisions aimed at enhancing mathematics education in primary schools.