Learning behavioral patterns of students with varying performance in a high school mathematics course using an e-book system

Traditional textbooks are progressively being replaced by e-book systems, which are also being utilized more commonly in K–12 education. The study investigated learning behavioral patterns in a seven-week high school mathematics course using an e-book system. In this study, learning data from the BookRoll system was analyzed with lag sequential analysis to examine learning behavioral patterns, learning strategies, and the differences between students with different performances. The results of the learning behavior patterns of all students confirmed the usage of rehearsal and elaboration strategies. However, it demonstrated the lack of using metacognitive strategies in the e-book learning process. Additionally, the results also revealed different learning patterns among students with different learning performances. Students with decreased performance tended to use shallow cognitive processing strategies, while students with increased performance used deeper learning strategies, such as integrating information from the previous and next pages to highlight learning contents. Regarding the strategy usage of students with unchanged performance, students in the unchanged low and middle performance groups tended to utilize the re-reading strategy, while students in the unchanged high performance group utilized the elaboration strategy. Notably, students with increased performance employed fewer learning behavioral patterns than decreased performance students. The behavioral patterns of students with increased performance were more efficient and effective.