Teaching and learning floating and sinking: A meta-analysis

Floating and sinking (FS) is a key topic in science education, both at primary and secondary levels. The interpretation of FS phenomena, however, is challenging due to the difficulty of the scientific concepts and explanatory models involved (e.g., density, buoyancy), along with students' everyday experiences, which conflict with scientific explanations. Consequently, many studies over the last few decades have investigated how FS could be taught effectively to students of different ages while utilizing multiple teaching approaches. This meta-analysis summarizes findings from 69 intervention studies on teaching FS conducted between 1977 and 2021. Over all studies, we estimated a mean effect size of g = 0.85 (95% CI = 0.71, 0.99). This large effect size demonstrates that, although FS is a challenging concept, teaching FS is effective even in elementary school. Moreover, in a moderator analysis, we investigate the effect of intervention characteristics, students' age, as well as study design, and assessment features on the mean study effect size. To analyze the effect of these moderator variables, we use a three-level hierarchical meta-regression model for dealing with multiple effect sizes from single studies. We found two intervention characteristics that explain variance in study effect sizes: longer lasting interventions result in larger effect sizes and interventions where hands-on experiments are applied are more effective than those utilizing virtual experiments. Furthermore, studies with a treatment-control group comparison have significantly smaller effect sizes than studies with a pre-post design. We discuss the implications of our findings regarding the moderator variables for effective teaching of FS and further research on FS.     

A meta-analysis of instructional systems applied in science teaching

This article is a report of a meta-analysis on the question: “What are the effects of different instructional systems used in science teaching?” The studies utilized in this meta-analysis were identified by a process that included a systematic screening of all dissertations completed in the field of science education since 1950, an ERIC search of the literature, a systematic screening of selected research journals, and the standard procedure of identifying potentially relevant studies through examination of the bibliographies of the studies reviewed. In all, the 130 studies coded gave rise to 341 effect sizes. The mean effect size produced over all systems was 0.10 with a standard deviation of 0.41, indicating that, on the average, an innovative teaching system in this sample produced one-tenth of a standard deviation better performance than traditional science teaching. Particular kinds of teaching systems, however, produced results that varied from this overall result. Mean effect sizes were also computed by year of publication, form of publication, grade level, and subject matter.     

The power of statistical tests in science teachnig research

A calculation of the probability of rejecting H₀ when it should be rejected (power) was completed on each of the 66 applicable articles in Volumes 6 and 7 (1969, 1970) of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching. These power calculations utilized the effect size definitions and tables developed by Cohen (1969). The mean power of each article to detect small, medium, and large effect sizes was determined from its major statistical tests. These mean powers were then compiled and analyzed. The powers calculated for the different effect sizes were disturbingly low (small, 0.22; medium, 0.71; large, 0.87) but not generally as low as Cohen (1962) found in an analysis of another behavioral journal. Recommendations for improving confidence in research in science teaching is provided and centers on significant increases in sample sizes and an understanding of power and its relation to a, effect size and sample size.     

Formative Assessment: A Meta‐Analysis and a Call for Research

An effect size of about .70 (or .40–.70) is often claimed for the efficacy of formative assessment, but is not supported by the existing research base. More than 300 studies that appeared to address the efficacy of formative assessment in grades K‐12 were reviewed. Many of the studies had severely flawed research designs yielding uninterpretable results. Only 13 of the studies provided sufficient information to calculate relevant effect sizes. A total of 42 independent effect sizes were available. The median observed effect size was .25. Using a random effects model, a weighted mean effect size of .20 was calculated. Moderator analyses suggested that formative assessment might be more effective in English language arts (ELA) than in mathematics or science, with estimated effect sizes of .32, .17, and .09, respectively. Two types of implementation of formative assessment, one based on professional development and the other on the use of computer‐based formative systems, appeared to be more effective than other approaches, yielding mean effect size of .30 and .28, respectively. Given the wide use and potential efficacy of good formative assessment practices, the paucity of the current research base is problematic. A call for more high‐quality studies is issued.     

A meta‐analysis of national research: Effects of teaching strategies on student achievement in science in the United States

This project consisted of a meta‐analysis of U.S. research published from 1980 to 2004 on the effect of specific science teaching strategies on student achievement. The six phases of the project included study acquisition, study coding, determination of intercoder objectivity, establishing criteria for inclusion of studies, computation of effect sizes for statistical analysis, and conducting the analyses. Studies were required to have been carried out in the United States, been experimental or quasi‐experimental, and must have included effect size or the statistics necessary to calculate effect size. Sixty‐one studies met the criteria for inclusion in the meta‐analysis. The following eight categories of teaching strategies were revealed during analysis of the studies (effect sizes in parentheses): Questioning Strategies (0.74); Manipulation Strategies (0.57); Enhanced Material Strategies (0.29); Assessment Strategies (0.51); Inquiry Strategies (0.65); Enhanced Context Strategies (1.48); Instructional Technology (IT) Strategies (0.48); and Collaborative Learning Strategies (0.95). All these effect sizes were judged to be significant. Regression analysis revealed that internal validity was influenced by Publication Type, Type of Study, and Test Type. External validity was not influenced by Publication Year, Grade Level, Test Content, or Treatment Categories. The major implication of this research is that we have generated empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of alternative teaching strategies in science. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 44: 1436–1460, 2007     

Effects of cognitive learning strategies for Korean learners: A meta-analysis

The purpose of this study was to synthesize the cognitive learning strategy intervention studies conducted in Korea between 1990 and 2006, using meta-analysis. By means of pre-established systematic criteria, 50 articles were selected and 97 effect sizes were calculated. Effect size was calculated using ‘the Cohen’s d’ (Cooper &; Hedges, 1994). The research questions of the present study were as follows: (a) Are cognitive learning strategies generally effective? (b) What type of cognitive learning strategy is most effective? (c) Are effect sizes of different types of cognitive learning strategies different according to the applied domains, grade levels, and achievement levels? The results of the study indicate that, first of all, the overall cognitive learning strategies (97 ESs) yielded a large effect size (ESsm=.96), which was not homogenous (Q=55.19,p <.05). Thus, in each subcategory of learners’ characteristics and applied domains, we calculated effect sizes and conducted the test of homogeneity separately. Except for grade level, the effect sizes were generally homogenous in each subcategory. The findings revealed that cognitive strategies had large effect sizes (.82–1.69). For average achieving students as well as underachieving students (Learning Disabilities), cognitive learning strategies were very effective (.82–1.42). The effect of cognitive learning strategies was very large in terms of students in all grades (1.02–1.34), except for middle school students (.70). Lastly, the implications for the application of different cognitive learning strategies were discussed.     

Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Beliefs About Science Teaching

In this study, a Beliefs About Teaching (BAT) scale was created to examine preservice elementary science teachers’ self-reported comfort level with both traditional and reform-based teaching methods, assessment techniques, classroom management techniques, and science content. Participants included 166 preservice teachers from three different US universities. Analyses revealed significant correlations among participants’ confidence level with assessment techniques, classroom management, teaching methods, and science content and number of science methods and science content courses taken. A significant difference was observed among the students enrolled at each university. Overall, study participants felt more comfortable teaching biology concepts than teaching chemistry concepts, physics concepts, or both.     

A meta-analysis of the relationship of child sexual abuse to HIV risk behavior among women

OBJECTIVE: This study is a meta-analysis of the literature exploring the relationship between child sexual abuse (CSA) and HIV risk behavior among women. Four outcome variables were tested: unprotected sex; sex with multiple partners; sex trading; and adult sexual revictimization. METHOD: Forty-six studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis, and separate meta-analyses were performed for each of the four dependent variables described above. RESULTS: Using the correlation coefficient r as an effect size estimate, results indicate an average effect size of .05 for the unprotected sex meta-analysis (N = 16 studies), .13 for the sex with multiple partners meta-analysis (N = 23 studies), .12 for the sex trading meta-analysis (N = 23 studies), and .17 for the adult sexual revictimization meta-analysis (N = 21 studies). We conducted a test of three potential moderator variables (source of sample, definition of CSA based on type of contact, and definition of CSA based on maximum age of victim). Results did not support the hypothesis that these three variables explain a significant amount of variability in effect sizes with one exception: Studies that define CSA more broadly to include adolescent victims (e.g., victims up to 17 years of age) had larger and more homogenous effect sizes for the sex trading meta-analysis than those that defined CSA as having occurred at younger ages. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest a small positive relationship between CSA and subsequent HIV risk behavior among women that varies as a function of how CSA and HIV risk behavior are operationalized.     

The effect of inquiry teaching and advance organizers upon student outcomes in science education

Two areas of research were explored in this meta-analysis: comparison of inductive versus deductive teaching approachs, and the use of advance organizers. This study involved the coding of 128 characteristics for 39 studies which spanned the period from 1957 through 1980. The coding variables included 57 which were concerned with features of the treatment while 12 were concerned with outcome attributes. Aspects such as research methodology, sample characteristics, and instructional experiences were examined quantitatively in terms of their relationships to the treatment effects through the use of a common metric for all studies. Mean effect sizes were calculated and reported.     

道德具身性的元分析研究

具身认知强调身体的感知觉在认知过程中发挥着重要的作用。有研究者将物理变量的改变使得人们的道德行为和道德判断发生变化这一探讨方向命名为"道德的心理物理学"。元分析研究的目的在于探讨个体的感知觉与道德行为和道德判断之间是否存在联系,以及这种效应是否受到某些变量的影响。元分析纳入42个研究,共包含2962名被试。研究结果表明道德的具身认知效应显著,具体感知觉与道德行为和道德判断之间存在相关(r=0.19,p<0.01)。"被试来源国家"这一变量的调节作用显著(Q=79.454,df=41,p<0.001)。     

How Fair are Student Ratings in Assessing the Teaching Performance of University Teachers?

This paper examines the effects of course characteristics on student ratings of university teaching. The multivariate effects of various course characteristics on student ratings of university teachers were examined by a 5×4×3×2×2 multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) with academic discipline, class size, level of course, type of course, and mode of study as independent variables and a set of six composite student ratings as the dependent variable. Data were obtained from a university in Hong Kong and consisted of 4996 course average ratings collected from 25 departments over two academic years. Significant differences were found in course average student ratings across academic disciplines, class size groups, course levels, types of course, and modes of study. The effect sizes of the largest differences between sub‐groups within each of the factors were also estimated. Academic discipline differences and class size were found to have the largest effect on student ratings, with effect sizes of 0.43–0.86 and 0.55–1.01 respectively. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Science Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities: A Meta‐Analysis

Although science has received much attention as a political and educational initiative, students with learning disabilities (LD) perform significantly lower than their nondisabled peers. This meta‐analysis evaluates the effectiveness of instructional strategies in science for students with LD. Twelve studies were examined, summarized, and grouped according to the type of strategy implemented. Effect sizes (ES) were calculated for each study. Across all studies, a mean ES of .78 was obtained, indicating a moderate positive effect on students with LD science achievement. Findings also align with past reviews of inquiry‐based instruction for students with special needs, indicating that students with LD need structure within an inquiry science approach in order to be successful. Additionally, results suggest that mnemonic instruction is highly effective at increasing learning disabled students' acquisition and retention of science facts.     

The impact of science curricula on student views about the nature of science

This review of the literature focused on three decades of research related to precollege student understandings about the nature of science. Various interpretations of what aspects characterize the nature of science were examined, revealing an agreement among scientists, science educators, and those involved in policy-making arenas that the nature of science is multifaceted and an important component of scientific literacy. A summary of the research regarding the adequacies of student conceptions about the nature of science revealed inconsistent results. Although the majority of studies show that student understandings are less than desirable, there is research that indicates that student conceptions are acceptable. Research on the impact of instructional materials and techniques on student understandings was also reviewed. The effects of language in science instruction, the content emphasis of instructional materials, integrated science curricula, and instruction in general were curricular variables found to have a negative impact on student understandings about the nature of science. Empirical evidence about the success of innovative instructional materials and techniques designed to facilitate more adequate understandings of the nature of science is needed.     

Efficiency of digital and non-digital educational games: A comparative meta-analysis and a meta-thematic analysis

Abstract

The present article attempts to reinterpret the findings of most recent studies investigating effect of using games for teaching purposes. A methodological approach combining a meta-analysis of quantitative data with qualitative ones was adopted in order to present the broadest picture of the current research on educational use of games. To this end, we conducted a meta-analysis of 180 effect size comparisons out of 154 empirical studies on the effect of both digital and non-digital games on academic achievement conducted during the period from 2004 to 2019 in order to determine the overall effect size of using games for teaching various subjects. The overall sample size of the studies included a total number of 12800 participants. Some moderator analyses were also carried out to determine the exact efficiency of educational games in terms of student levels, durations of implementation of game activities, school subjects in which games were used, class sizes, kinds of games and achievement tests used. The findings suggest that educational games have a positive effect on academic achievement and this effect is at a medium level (g?=?0.695). The highest effect sizes were observed in foreign language courses (g?=?0.87), small (less than 50) class sizes (g?=?0.87), and in non-digital games (g?=?0.90). Moreover, we conducted a meta-thematic analysis based on document analysis of qualitative studies in order to further consolidate the findings of the meta-analysis. The meta-thematic dimension of our study reveals cognitive contributions as well as drawbacks of game-based teaching, and provides suggestions for conducting educational games in a better way.     

A longitudinal assessment of the effectiveness of a school-based mentoring program in middle school

This work assessed the efficacy of a middle-school-based mentoring program designed to increase student use of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies, self-efficacy for and the perceived usefulness of SRL as well as mathematics and language achievement. A longitudinal cluster randomized trial study design obtained evidence that found differential effects of a school-based mentoring program. Specifically, the performance of 94 seventh grade students naturally nested within four classrooms was measured at baseline and after 3, 6, and 9 months. Two classrooms were each randomly assigned to treatment or control conditions. First, the results indicated that participation in the mentoring program led to significant improvements with regard to all the dependent variables after the 9-month intervention, and significant effects had been observed at 6 months for some variables. Second, the program appears to play a more important role for SRL variables compared with academic variables. Third, the effect sizes were small, small-medium, or medium depending on academic mentoring, the type of variable used to assess the efficacy of the program, or the level of analysis considered, respectively. The effect size of this intervention was equal to or greater than those reported in prior studies. In conclusion, our findings underline the importance of academic mentoring programs that practice SRL strategies and emphasize the relevance of using study designs that provide both cross-sectional and longitudinal data.     

Cases of Science Professors’ Use of Nature of Science

Study provides qualitative analysis of data that answers the following research question: how college science faculty teach science and NOS and incorporate aspects of NOS and the history of science into their undergraduate courses? Study concentrates on four cases and more specifically on three introductory science classes and on four instructors who taught those courses. These instructors were chosen as case studies to explore in greater detail what occurs inside introductory science courses in one particular higher institution in the Northeastern United States. Participants’ teaching styles are presented through a combined and detailed presentation of interview data and classroom observations supported with examples from their classroom activities. Constant comparative approach was used in the process of organizing and analyzing data. Findings revealed that participants preferred to use the traditional teacher-centered lecturing as their teaching style and whose main concern was to cover more content, develop the problem solving skills of their students, and who wanted to teach the fundamental principles of their subjects without paying special importance to the NOS aspects. The study also revealed that other variables of teaching science, such as large class size, lack of management and organizational skills, teaching experience, and instructors’ concerns for students’ abilities and motivation are more important for these scientists then teaching for understanding of NOS.     

Mean Effects of Test Accommodations for ELLs and Non‐ELLs: A Meta‐Analysis of Experimental Studies

The objective was to examine the impact of different types of accommodations on performance in content tests such as mathematics. The meta‐analysis included 14 U.S. studies that randomly assigned school‐aged English language learners (ELLs) to test accommodation versus control conditions or used repeated measures in counter‐balanced order. Individual effect sizes (Glass's d) were calculated for 50 groups of ELLs and 32 groups of non‐ELLs. Individual effect sizes for English language and native language accommodations were classified into groups according to type of accommodation and timing conditions. Means and standard errors were calculated for each category. The findings suggest that accommodations that require extra printed materials need generous time limits for both the accommodated and unaccommodated groups to ensure that they are effective, equivalent in scale to the original test, and therefore more valid owing to reduced construct‐irrelevant variance. Computer‐administered glossaries were effective even when time limits were restricted. Although the Plain English accommodation had very small average effect sizes, inspection of individual effect sizes suggests that it may be much more effective for ELLs at intermediate levels of English language proficiency. For Spanish‐speaking students with low proficiency in English, the Spanish test version had the highest individual effect size (+1.45).     

Gender and science achievement: A reanalysis of studies from two meta-analyses

Data from 30 studies of the magnitude of gender differences in science achievement previously examined in two separate reviews were synthesized using modern methods for meta-analysis. Two meta-analysis methodologies were used: analyses of effect sizes (standardized mean differences) and vote-counting estimation procedures. Analyses revealed that magnitudes of gender differences in science achievement varied according to the subject matter under study. Males showed significant advantages in studies of biology, general science, and physics, but significant differences were not found for studies of mixed science content, and geology and earth sciences, or in a single study of chemistry. However, in all cases the numbers of effects examining each subject-matter area were quite small (seven or less). Also, studies which had focused on gender differences evidenced larger gender differences than other studies. Other possible predictors of the magnitudes of gender differences, such as grade level of the subjects and test length, did not account for significant amounts of variation among these study outcomes. Consequently, they also did not provide as strong an explanation of the patterns of gender differences as did subject matter and focus on gender.