Teachers struggle with low student persistence in adaptive math platforms, highlighting the need for AI-supported tools that help diagnose student struggles and disengagement beyond simple usage metrics.

In plain terms

Many adaptive math programs used in schools, like i-Ready Math, face a challenge called the "5% problem," where most students don't consistently use them. This paper explores why this happens from the perspective of teachers, focusing on how they understand students' struggles to stick with these learning tools. The researchers conducted a 90-minute workshop with 12 middle school math teachers, asking them to identify problems and vote on key issues related to student persistence. They found four main reasons for low persistence: students' motivation and buy-in, cognitive roadblocks (where they get stuck on content), their ability to bounce back from challenges, and various contextual issues (like classroom environment). Teachers especially emphasized needing help to understand *why* students get stuck and to spot "silent disengagement," prioritizing tools that help diagnose these issues over just tracking how much time students spend on the platform.