The Effects of Mobile Technology on Learning Performance and Motivation in Mathematics Education

Due to rapid developments, mobile technologies started to play an essential role in designing seamless learning environments. Due to the availability of mobile technologies, students can access learning materials without being bound by time and place. On the grounds that these applications allow information exchange, time and space limitations such as classrooms or school bells have been eliminated. Therefore, this study aims to assess mobile-assisted seamless learning environments’ effects on students’ success and motivation in the secondary school 7th grade mathematics class algebra unit and student opinions about the application. The research is designed using the descriptive pattern of mixed-method research. The sample of the study is 73 middle school students (30 male and 43 female) in Turkey. Augmented Reality (AR) applications developed in teaching algebra to support individual learning and to utilize mobile technologies, WhatsApp groups were created. Algebra Achievement Test (AAT), Mathematics Motivation Scale (MMS), and semi-structured interview forms were used as data collection tools in the research. The results of the study showed that there were statistically significant differences in favor of the experiment group in AAT and MMS scores. However, no significant difference was found between the groups in intrinsic goal orientation and test anxiety scores, which are motivation sub-dimensions. The findings obtained from AAT, MMS, and the students’ opinions showed that mobile technology applications used in out-of-school learning environments positively affect the learning process.