School Mathematics amid the Attention Crisis: Learning Challenges in a Fast Digital Culture
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62872/c8ba4z75Keywords:
Attention Crisis, Digital Culture, Mathematics Education, Educational Technology, Student EngagementAbstract
The rapid digital transformation of education has fundamentally reshaped mathematics learning worldwide, particularly in the post-pandemic era. While digital technologies offer powerful opportunities to enhance learning outcomes, motivation, and accessibility, they simultaneously generate complex challenges related to students’ attention, emotional wellbeing, digital inequality, and the sustainability of pedagogical practice. This study aims to critically examine the opportunities and challenges of digital integration in school mathematics learning by synthesizing recent international research published between 2020 and 2025. Employing a qualitative systematic literature review with thematic analysis, this study analyzed twenty peer-reviewed journal articles focusing on digital mathematics instruction across primary and secondary education contexts. The findings reveal that well-designed digital tools significantly improve academic achievement, student engagement, and recovery from post-pandemic learning loss, while also transforming students’ mathematical identity and learning environments. However, excessive digital exposure contributes to attention crises, psychosocial tension, and persistent structural inequalities. The study concludes that sustainable digital mathematics education requires an integrated framework that aligns technological innovation with pedagogical quality, responsive teacher education, equitable infrastructure development, and systematic support for students’ cognitive and emotional wellbeing
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