Effects of adaptive learning on school academic performance
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Adaptive learning has gained relevance in school education due to its potential to address classroom heterogeneity and improve academic performance through pathways, content, and feedback tailored to student performance. To this end, the article analyzes the available scientific evidence through an exploratory literature review based on systematic searches in academic databases, explicit selection criteria, and a narrative synthesis of studies focused on school populations. The findings show a generally favorable trend, especially when pedagogical adaptation is combined with teacher mediation, aligned assessment, timely feedback, and solid instructional design; however, the effects vary according to the curricular area, the duration of the intervention, the type of system used, and the implementation conditions. Consequently, it is concluded that adaptive learning can contribute to improving school academic performance, but its effectiveness is not automatic and depends on pedagogical, technological, and contextual decisions that ensure relevance, equity, and educational quality.
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