A Meta-Analysis of Factors Impacting Middle-Grades Students' Achievement and Attitudes in STEM

• In Event: Investigating Young Adolescents' Academic Achievement and STEM Education

Abstract

This meta-analysis examined the impact of instructional interventions on middle grades students (grades five through eight) STEM-related achievement and attitudes. Meta-analytic techniques summarized findings across grade levels, content areas, and outcomes, providing a comparison of the magnitude and direction of the impact of STEM instructional interventions across studies. The random effects model showed that STEM interventions in the included studies had a small, positive effect size (Hedge’s g = 0.424) across all studies for students’ STEM achievement and attitude, especially for girls and upper-grades students. The present study’s findings add to the body of literature on the effectiveness of reform-based STEM instructional interventions in the middle grades and has important implications for state testing and school accountability measures in STEM.

Authors

• Kim Boddie Wright, Texas A&M University - College Station

• Jeffrey Keese, Mercer University

• Manjari Banerjee, Texas A&M University - College Station

• Hersh C. Waxman, Texas A&M University - College Station