A best-evidence meta-analysis of the effects of digital monitoring tools for teachers on student achievement

Abstract

In this study the effects of the use of digital student monitoring tools for teachers (DMTs) on student achievement (primary and secondary schools, mathematics, reading, and language) were investigated through a meta-analysis (n = 14). The studies were also coded for feedback and intervention features, which resulted in three groups of combinations of DMTs and interventions. The meta-analytic findings indicate that the use of a DMT overall has a moderate effect (ES =.12) on student achievement for studies in which student achievement is measured by means of researcher-independent tests. Positive effects were also found for the use of DMTs in primary education (ES =.14), reading (ES =.17), mathematics (ES =.10), and for two groups of DMT-intervention combinations (ES =.25 and.13). Our results are encouraging but should be interpreted with caution, given the small number of studies that met our stringent inclusion criteria.