Learning Aids' Effect on Mathematics Performance of Grade 8 Students in Vocational Education in Flanders (Belgium)

Based on the sociocultural theory of learning and distributed cognition, using learning aids should benefit students' performance, as learning aids can compensate for a lack of knowledge or skills and reduce strain on short-term memory. The present study investigated the use of a diverse set of learning aids in Grade 8 of vocational education in Flanders (the northern part of Belgium) and whether access to learning aids affects students' mathematics performance. Data from the 2019 national assessment on mathematics were used. The teacher questionnaire showed that learning aids were available in most classes for all students. Overall, the calculator is the most frequently used learning aid, together with the multiplication table and conversion table. A field experiment was conducted, with a condition where students were allowed to use learning aids and a condition where students were not allowed to use learning aids. A multilevel model was used to test for differences. The results revealed that access to learning aids does not significantly increase students' performance, and, thus, access to learning aids does not generate an unfair advantage.