Category: Programme Evaluation

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Programme Evaluation Secondary School Education

Teaching Quality in STEM Enrichment Programs: Gifted Students’ Perceptions of In-School and Out-of-School Learning Environments

Jaggy et al. (2025) investigate how gifted students perceive teaching quality in specialized STEM enrichment programs compared with their regular school classrooms. Previous research has shown that high-ability students often experience learning environments differently from their peers, yet little is known about how participation in extracurricular enrichment programs influences students’ evaluation of teaching quality in both in-school and out-of-school settings. To address this gap, the study examines students attending the Hector Seminar, a specialized STEM enrichment program for gifted secondary school students in Germany and compares their perceptions of teaching quality across learning contexts.

The study uses cross-sectional data from a large-scale talent development project including academically advanced sixth- and seventh-grade students in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Teaching quality was assessed using student reports on six indicators derived from the three-basic-dimensions model of instructional quality: effective classroom management, cognitive activation, student support, adaptivity, interestingness, and motivational climate. Two research questions guided the analysis: whether gifted students evaluate teaching quality in the enrichment program higher than in regular school classes, and whether students attending the program perceive regular classroom teaching differently from comparable students who do not participate in the program.

Results show that students attending the specialized STEM enrichment program rated teaching quality significantly higher in the program than in their regular school classes across most indicators, particularly in interestingness, motivational climate, and adaptivity. These findings suggest that enrichment programs provide highly stimulating and supportive learning environments for gifted students. Importantly, however, participation in the enrichment program did not lead students to evaluate their regular school teaching more negatively compared with non-participants, indicating that potential reference effects between learning contexts were limited.

Overall, the study highlights the importance of specialized enrichment programs as high-quality learning environments for gifted students while showing that such programs do not necessarily undermine students’ perceptions of regular classroom instruction. The findings contribute to research on gifted education and teaching quality by demonstrating that macro-level adaptations, such as structured STEM enrichment programs, can enhance learning experiences without producing negative comparison effects. The results also underscore the need for teacher professional development and more individualized instruction to better support diverse student needs across learning settings.

 

Source (Open Access): Jaggy, A. K., Wagner, W., Fütterer, T., Göllner, R., & Trautwein, U. (2025). Teaching quality in STEM education: Differences between in-and out-of-school contexts from the perspective of gifted students. International Journal of STEM Education, 12(1), 53.

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-025-00576-w… Read the rest

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K-12 Education Programme Evaluation

Gender Disparity in Computational Thinking Pedagogy and Assessment: A Three-Level Meta-Analysis

Gender disparities in computational thinking (CT) education are widely acknowledged, but few meta-analyses have investigated how particular instructional approaches and assessment settings shape these differences. To address this research gap, Liu et al. (2025) conducted a meta-analysis of 53 empirical studies, covering 100 effect sizes and a total sample of 15,454 participants, to examine the overall magnitude of gender differences in CT education and the factors that may shape them. The findings show a small but statistically significant overall gender difference (g = 0.106, 95% CI [0.024, 0.188], p < .05), suggesting a slight advantage for males.

Regarding moderation effects, neither general study features (e.g., publication type, geographic region, and educational level) nor CT assessment contexts (e.g., the instrument used and the learning outcome measured) significantly altered the effect sizes. In contrast, pedagogical approaches did matter: technology-integrated strategies such as mixed and plugged approaches were linked to larger gender gaps favoring boys, whereas unplugged approaches tended to narrow the gap and sometimes even shifted the advantage toward girls. In terms of assessment, gender differences were not significant when CT concepts were measured, but they became significant when outcomes involved authentic practices (such as programming tasks) and identity-related dimensions (such as motivation, learning interest, and self-efficacy).

The results highlight clear implications for improving equity in CT education. Support should start early in K–12, with a particular focus on developing students’ CT practices and perspectives so that small gender gaps do not become persistent over time. Unplugged activities can serve as a low-barrier entry point, strengthening basic understanding and confidence, especially for girls. In addition, technology use should be introduced progressively: when digital and AI tools are scaffolded within supportive, culturally relevant learning settings, students may feel less anxious about technology and experience more inclusive participation.

 

Source (Open Access): Liu, S., Dai, Y., Ng, O. L., & Cai, Z. (2025). Gender Disparity in Computational Thinking Pedagogy and Assessment: A Three-Level Meta-Analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 37(4), 114.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-10095-3… Read the rest

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Kindergarten Programme Evaluation

The effect of robot programming versus unplugged programming on computational thinking and executive functions in preschool children: a randomized controlled trial

A recent study investigated whether robot programming offers added benefits over unplugged programming for developing preschoolers’ computational thinking (CT) and executive functions (EFs), given limited comparative evidence in early childhood contexts.

The authors conducted a randomized controlled trial with 198 children aged 5 to 6 from one public kindergarten in China. Children were randomly assigned to a robot programming group using the Matatalab kit (n = 66), an unplugged programming group using paper and pencil based activities (n = 66), or a business as usual control group engaging in conventional kindergarten activities (n = 66). The intervention lasted 12 weeks, with one 60 minute session per week. CT was assessed with TechCheck K (15 items; Cronbach’s alpha = 0.79 in this study), and EFs were measured with the Early Year Toolbox tasks assessing inhibition (Go/No-Go), working memory (Mr. Ant), and cognitive flexibility (Card Sorting). Measures were administered at baseline, week 6, and week 12, and effects were analysed using linear mixed effects models; implementation fidelity was reported as 97 percent adherence.

Results showed that both robot programming and unplugged programming groups outperformed the control group on CT over time, and the robot programming group showed stronger CT gains than the unplugged group by week 12. For EFs, the robot programming group outperformed both the unplugged programming and control groups over time on inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility; within group analyses indicated significant improvements after 12 weeks only in the robot programming group for these EF outcomes. Most children in the robot programming group reported positive perceptions of programmable robots, including ease of use (79%), perceived usefulness (91%), technology anxiety (91%), satisfaction (94%), attitude (82%), and intention to continue use (85%).

The study suggests that while both modalities can support preschoolers’ CT, robot programming may produce more substantial and sustained benefits, particularly for EFs. The authors recommend further research with more diverse samples, longer follow up, mixed quantitative and qualitative evidence, and continued validation of EF measures and programming tools.

 

Source (Open Access): Zhang, X., Chen, Y., Hu, L., Hwang, G. J., & Tu, Y. F. (2025). Developing preschool children’s computational thinking and executive functions: unplugged vs. robot programming activities. International Journal of STEM Education, 12(1), 10.

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-024-00525-z… Read the rest

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Effective Teaching Approach K-12 Education Programme Evaluation

Equity in Teacher Education Programs: Conceptions and Program-Level Efforts

Ko-Wong (2025) conducts a systematic review to examine how teacher education programs (TEPs) in the United States conceptualize, implement, and prioritize equity. Drawing on 58 empirical studies that met rigorous inclusion criteria, the review synthesizes program-level equity efforts across coursework, field placements, recruitment strategies, faculty development, and structural reforms. The analysis highlights substantial conceptual ambiguity: many programs invoke equity rhetorically while relying on race-evasive framings, thin interpretations of fairness, or narrow emphases on access and achievement. Few studies explicitly address Whiteness, racism, power, or meritocracy—core constructs in critical equity frameworks.

Using an adapted strong-equity lens, the review finds that most TEPs focus on surface-level or fragmented activities, such as required multicultural courses or isolated field experiences, which often lack coherence and long-term impact. Although coursework and community-based placements can support preservice teachers’ awareness of diverse learners, evidence suggests that these efforts frequently fall short of transforming candidates’ racial literacy or challenging institutional hierarchies. Only a limited subset of programs adopt more systemic approaches that integrate equity across curricula, partnerships, supervision, and program structures.

The findings underscore the persistent gap between equity rhetoric and equity enactment in teacher preparation. Ko-Wong argues that meaningful progress requires programs to name and confront systemic racism, destabilize dominant ideologies such as color-evasiveness and meritocracy, and reimagine TEPs as sites of structural change rather than individual skill development. The review concludes with recommendations for advancing strong equity through conceptual clarity, coherent program design, and deeper engagement with racial justice frameworks.

Source (Open Access): Ko-Wong, L. (2025). Equity in Teacher Education Programs: A Systematic Review of Conceptions and Program-Level Efforts. Review of Educational Research, 00346543251382579.

https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543251382579… Read the rest

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Higher Education Programme Evaluation

Leap, learn, earn: exploring academic risk taking and learning success across gender and socioeconomic groups

A recent cross-sectional study by Hübner and Pfost (2024) investigates gender-related and SES-related disparities in academic risk-taking (ART) and their implications for learning success in undergraduate education. Drawing on a sample of 381 German university students, the study addresses four research questions: (1) Are there significant differences in ART levels based on students’ social group affiliation (gender, SES)? (2) Does ART predict students’ learning success? (3) Are there significant indirect effects of social group affiliation on learning success via ART (mediation)? (4) Are there significant differences in the strength of the relationship between ART and learning success depending on students’ social group affiliation (moderation)?

The authors employed structural equation modeling to address these questions. Specifically, ART was assessed across two dimensions—seminar group and peer group—while learning success was measured through students’ subjective evaluations of their own learning achievement in the current seminar. Gender was coded as female, male, or diverse, with the latter category excluded due to its small sample size. SES was dichotomized into high and low groups. Higher education entry qualification (HEEQ) was included as a general control variable, based on students’ self-reported prior academic performance (ranging from 1 = very good to 6 = insufficient).

The findings reveal significant gender differences in ART on both the seminar group dimension (Mmale = 3.53, Mfemale = 3.23, F = 11.83, p = 0.001, d = 0.40) and the peer group dimension (Mmale = 3.27, Mfemale = 3.49, F = 5.58, p = 0.018, d = 0.28). In contrast, no significant differences emerged between high-SES students and low-SES students in either the seminar group dimension (Mlow-SES = 3.26, Mhigh-SES = 3.33, F = 0.74, p = 0.390, d = 0.09) or the peer group dimension (Mlow-SES = 3.39, Mhigh-SES = 3.45, F = 0.51, p = 0.476, d = 0.07). Both the seminar group (β = 0.23, p = 0.004) and peer group (β = 0.21, p = 0.009) dimensions of ART significantly predicted learning success. Regarding mediation effects, the indirect path from gender through the seminar group dimension of ART to learning success was significant (β = -0.04, p = 0.015), whereas the peer group dimension did not function as a mediator. Furthermore, gender (β = 0.10, p = 0.004) and SES (β = 0.10, p = 0.018) significantly moderated the relationship between the peer group dimension of ART and learning success, but no moderation effects were observed for the seminar group dimension.

This study is among the first to confirm gender differences in ART within higher education and to demonstrate the beneficial effects of ART on learning success using inferential statistical methods. By addressing the four research questions, it contributes to a more nuanced understanding of ART and its role in the reproduction of educational inequalities.

 

Source (Open Access): Hübner, V., & Pfost, M. (2024). Leap, learn, earn: exploring academic risk taking and learning success across gender and socioeconomic groups. Higher Education, 1-19.

 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01307-w… Read the rest

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Programme Evaluation Secondary School Education

Long-term effects of grade retention for older students

Research suggests that early grade retention is less harmful than in later grades, when staying with one’s peers s especially crucial. Matthew Larsen and Jon Valant examined a Louisiana policy that assigned students with low test scores to three different placements: full retention in grade 8, promotion to grade 9, or a hybrid “grade 8.5” option where students entered high school but received 8th-grade-level instruction. This hybrid approach aimed to reduce the stigma of retention by keeping students with their peers while offering academic remediation.

Using regression discontinuity designs, the authors found that the higher a student was placed, the more likely they were to graduate from high school and enroll in college across all comparisons: grade 9 vs 8, grade 9 vs grade 8.5, and grade 8.5 vs 8.  Students who were near the grade retention scores for 8th grade were less likely to enroll in college. The authors concluded that retaining older students, even with remediation, may undermine long-term educational outcomes.

Source: Larsen, M. F., & Valant, J. (2024). The long-term effects of grade retention: Evidence on persistence through high school and college. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 17(4), 615-646. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2023.2240323… Read the rest