Abstract
The objective of this study is to perform a meta‐analysis of published data on the effects of active learning on Asian students' performance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. This comprehensive meta-analysis study includes a systematic review of papers related to various active learning approaches and instructional methods such as collaborative learning, experiential learning, discovery-based, group-inquiry-based, problem-based and activity-based learning, specifically the effects these approaches have on Asian students' performance in STEM-related subjects. The Scopus electronic bibliographic database was searched with search terms and dates to identify and extract the relevant studies that met pre-stated inclusion criteria. A main criterion for inclusion of studies in this meta-analysis were Asian students’ exposure to any active learning intervention in STEM-related subjects. Studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were processed for data extraction. A total of 2810 full‐text peer reviewed papers published from 2000 to 2020 were analyzed and 38 papers met the inclusion criteria established for the meta-analysis. Effect sizes between experimental (n = 2230) and control groups (n = 2510) were calculated using means and standard deviations which were collected and summarized for a comprehensive and systematic review based on the compiled data. Using means and standard deviations from the studies, a moderately large effect size (ES = 0.6596) was detected. Analysis of the pre-post effect sizes demonstrated a significantly higher mean effect size thereby indicating a positive effect of active learning on Asian students' performance in STEM subjects. Findings from the meta-analysis in this study provide a comprehensive understanding of the effects of active learning on Asian students' performance in STEM subjects. Finally, the significance and relevance of these findings for future research directions are discussed. Copyright © 2022 De La Salle University.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 379-400 |
Journal | The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher |
Volume | 32 |
Early online date | May 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2023 |
Citation
Ting, F. S. T., Shroff, R. H., Lam, W. H., Garcia, R. C. C., Chan, C. L., Tsang, W. K., & Ezeamuzie, N. O. (2023). A meta-analysis of studies on the effects of active learning on Asian students' performance in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 32, 379-400. doi: 10.1007/s40299-022-00661-6Keywords
- Active learning
- Control group
- Effect-size
- Experimental group
- Lecture-based
- Meta-analysis
- STEM
- Student performance