Service learning for K-12 students is an educational strategy that involves a deliberate and explicit connection between community service and academic instruction. The aim is to link instruction to practical issues by including service activities and time for reflection. A recent Campbell Systematic review looked at the effect of service learning interventions on student outcomes in K-12. The review included experimental studies, and outcomes of interest were academic success and personal/social skills. Results showed that the average effect size for service learning was +0.09 on student grade point average, with a higher effect in math (+0.21) than in English (+0.04). Other outcomes showed small positive results: reducing absenteeism in terms of days (+0.03), improving self-esteem (+0.13) and locus of control (+0.07). The results do not suggest a definitive positive impact of service learning on student outcomes. The authors conclude that there is the need for further experimental studies on the...

“Evidence-based,” a currently popular concept, assumes that identifying the high-quality interventions with valid positive results will enhance educational outcomes on a widespread scale. Clearinghouses (CHs) push this process forward by setting their chosen scientific criteria, evaluating studies of the required quality, synthesizing the study results, and proposing recommendations. To probe into the consistency of the meanings of “evidence-based” in different CHs, Cook and colleagues recently examined 12 educational clearinghouses to (1) compare their effectiveness criteria, (2) estimate how consistently they evaluate the same program, and (3) analyze why their evaluations differ. How variable are CHs in their effectiveness criteria? All the CHs value randomized control trials (RCT) as the preferred experimental design, but they vary in how they test whether an RCT is well-implemented enough to deserve the highest study-quality ranking. Quasi-experimental designs were treated more variably than RCTs based on separate standards for different categories. Additionally, different CHs place...

Differences in achievement levels among subgroups of students are referred to as “excellence gaps,” which primarily concern the highest-performing students. While certain students may struggle to attain the minimum expected levels of academic achievement, there are others who are already performing at levels beyond their current grade before the beginning of the school year. Excellence gaps are connected to equitable school systems. Often students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds have less access to advanced learning opportunities than their peers. A recent systematic review included qualitative and quantitative studies to determine what kind of research has been conducted on strategies to reduce excellence gaps in K-12. The review included 80 studies categorized by strategy, such as school accountability system support, teacher professional learning, and universal screening with local norms. The review highlighted the role of each strategy in reducing excellence gaps. Overall, results suggested considering four key points: Prepare, Place, Evaluate, and...

Human beings possessed a remarkable ability to unconsciously detect and internalize statistical patterns of sensory input from the environment, such as frequency, variability, and co-occurrence probability. This ability, known as statistical learning which is believed to be related to language acquisition. Researchers have investigated the link between statistical learning and developmental dyslexia (DD), a difficulty in learning to read even with normal intelligence and schooling, however, the results were mixed. Lee and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis compared the differences in statistical learning ability between people with developmental dyslexia (DD) and their age-matched typically development (TD) counterpart and investigate various factors which may affect the extent of differences. One of the factors was the statistical learning task paradigm which included: Serial reaction time (SRT) task: to measure the reaction time to randomly and sequentially ordered stimuli. This is an implicit learning that participant becomes familiar with a repeated sequence from mere...

The implementation of large-scale literacy initiatives by states and school districts to improve the effectiveness of teaching literacy is a complex process involving actors like administrators, teachers, and literacy coaches. So, how can teachers be certain that they are providing effective support? The Self-Study Guide for Evidence-Based Coaching for Literacy: PreK–Grade 12, published by the Institute of Education Sciences, and developed by the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southeast in partnership with the Improving Literacy Research Alliance, intends to (a) increase the knowledge, skills, and ability of teachers to implement evidence-based practices, (b) help literacy coaches to document and refine their instructional practices, and (c)  help schools, districts, or states to monitor and assess the effectiveness of literacy coaching. To do so, the self-study guide includes four main components: The Planning and Implementation Scoring Guide, which contains four areas–evidence-based practices of literacy coaches, principal-coach partnership agreements, hiring and training practices, and...

The first few years of a novice teacher’s career are important, and they are usually provided with formalized induction programs to help them develop and grow as teachers. A new meta-analysis published in the Educational Research Review studied the effects of novice teacher induction programs, in order to better understand how formalized induction programs impact in-service teachers and their students. In order to meet the criteria for inclusion, studies had to: (1) examine formalized induction and/or mentoring of novice teachers in PK-12 school settings; (2) use experimental, quasi-experimental, or correlational research designs; (3) include enough statistical information to allow for the calculation of effect sizes; (4) be published between 2010 and 2019; (5) be written in English. A total of 17 studies met these inclusion criteria, consisting of 6 intervention studies and 11 correlational studies. Overall, the random-effects models for both intervention and correlational studies showed positive and statistically significant...

With the rapid development of modern technology and its extensive application in education, China seeks to popularize education technology in K-12 classrooms. A recent meta-analysis by Ni and colleagues provided insights into the impact of educational technology on English reading achievement for Chinese English second language learners (ESLs) and compared different instructional models. The meta-analysis included 35 eligible studies which targeted Chinese K-12 participants conducted from 2000 to 2020 in Greater China. Five learning models were classified in the study: The multimedia-transmission model (k=11) is a teacher-centred model using computer-assisted multimedia instruction (e.g., music, videos). The comprehensive model (k=8) incorporates technology into the core curriculum which integrates computer or mobile-assisted instruction into non-technology-based classroom activities. For example, using digital dictionary apps for a vocabulary memorizing competition in the class. Supplementary activities (k=5) involve supplementary learning activities performed outside the classroom. The integrated online-learning system (k=5) is a learning management system...

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires schools and districts to use evidence-based programs to improve outcomes for students. Thus, to understand how this requirement informs decision-making regarding the selection of curricular programs, in her study, Yoshizawa observed meetings and conducted interviews with practitioners in three different school districts in one state. The state education agency provided school districts with access to optional professional development on using tools such as Evidence for ESSA and the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC). Additionally, school districts received a handbook that explained how to document their reform initiatives and justify decisions using research. The study found that the district- and school-level practitioners used the tools suggested by the state education agency but made decisions regarding curricular purchases in nuanced ways. Practitioners used their own background knowledge regarding program effectiveness and weighed it against evidence. Additionally, they drew from different understandings of what constitutes evidence and...

Augmented reality (AR) technology emphasizes superimposing virtual information over the real environment to create a new context of learning.  Studies and research about the impact of using augmented reality (AR) continue to grow in number in the educational sector. By including a total of 134 (quasi-)experiment studies from 2012 to 2021, Chang and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the impact of AR on three levels of learning outcomes: Response outcome: learners’ self-reported attitude to the AR learning environment, e.g., satisfaction, motivation, or perception of usefulness Knowledge and skill outcome: involves assessment tools to measure learners’ understanding and skills, e.g., literacy, numeracy, or reasoning. Performance outcome: how learners apply and transfer what they learned to the authentic situation, e.g., conduct scientific enquiry or operate a simulated medical survey. Results of the meta-analysis included: Comparing AR with non-AR, positive impacts of AR instruction were found on response outcome (g=+0.49), knowledge and...