How Teachers Really Use Digital Technology in Math Classrooms

Digital tools are often praised as a game-changer for mathematics learning. But whether students actually benefit depends less on which tool is used—and far more on how teachers implement it. In our new paper (published in Computers and Education Open with Alina Kadluba and Andreas Obersteiner: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2025.100310), we observed 14 mathematics teachers over five weeks as they integrated the same digital fractions tool into their regular lessons. What we found was striking: even with identical technology, classroom practice varied enormously.

From these observations, four distinct teaching approaches emerged:

• Practicing: teachers use the tool for structured, feedback-rich practice.
• Presenting: the tool serves mainly to introduce concepts or demonstrate examples.
• Motivating: the tool is used to boost engagement, sometimes as a reward.
• Low-Guidance: technology is handed to students with little pedagogical framing.

These patterns were not tied to teacher age, experience, or background—instead, they reflected deeper instructional habits and beliefs about learning. Some teachers prepared students conceptually before using the tool; others focused strongly on procedural fluency; still others emphasized motivation over content. And occasionally, the tool replaced instruction rather than enriching it.

Our findings underline a simple but powerful message: effective digital learning depends on effective teaching. Understanding these approaches can help researchers interpret the impact of educational technology more precisely—and help teacher professional development move beyond offering tools toward supporting meaningful, content-aligned integration.