Meta-analysis of Research on Class Size and Its Relationship to Attitudes and Instruction

1980 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Lee Smith ◽  
Gene V Glass
Keyword(s):  
Classroom Climate ◽  
Class Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Logarithmic Model ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
School Participation ◽  
Attitudes Toward Students ◽  
Statistical Integration ◽  
Integration Analysis

Features of 59 studies of this relationship were coded and quantified and 371 findings were transformed into a common metric for statistical integration. Analysis, based on a logarithmic model, revealed a substantial relationship between class size and teacher and pupil attitudes as well as instruction. Favorable teacher effects (workload, morale, attitudes toward students) are associated with smaller classes as are favorable effects on students (self-concept, interest in school, participation). Smaller classes are associated with greater attempts to individualize instruction and better classroom climate. The results complement those of a previous meta-analysis that showed positive effects of class size on achievement.

scholarly journals Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Teachers: A Meta-Analysis of the Emerging Evidence-Base

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Klingbeil ◽  
Tyler L Renshaw
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Stress ◽  
Classroom Climate ◽  
Variance Estimation ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Positive Effects

Teachers report high levels of occupational stress, which is associated with teacher turnover and potential negative consequences for students. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) may improve the protective factors that buffer educators against occupational stress. Although previous meta-analytic reviews synthesized the effects of MBIs for healthy and clinical samples of adults, this study was the first to synthesize the effects of MBIs for teachers (grades pre-K through 12). A total of 347 effect sizes from 29 studies (N = 1,493) were synthesized using meta-regression with robust variance estimation. Overall, MBIs had a medium treatment effect on teacher outcomes (g = .601, SE = .089). Visual and statistical evidence of publication bias suggested this estimate may be positively biased. Three potential study-level moderators for overall effects were also examined, but none were statistically significant. MBIs were associated with small-to-medium positive effects on therapeutic processes and therapeutic outcomes. MBIs had the smallest effects on measures of classroom climate and instructional practices. Overall, findings were similar to other meta-analytic reviews of MBIs for non-clinical adult populations and working professionals. The literature on MBIs for teachers appears to have similar gaps as research on MBIs for adults (e.g., Davison & Kaszniak, 2015), including the primary use of self-report measures, the lack of active treatment comparisons, and rare reporting of treatment fidelity data. Directions for future research and implications are discussed. [*Note: Supplemental online materials cited in the paper are included in the preprint document following the main paper.]

Three Paradoxical Effects on Academic Self-Concept Across Countries, Schools, and Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herbert W. Marsh ◽  
Philip D. Parker ◽  
Reinhard Pekrun
Keyword(s):  
International Student ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Frame Of Reference ◽  
School Level ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
International Student Assessment ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Starting School

Abstract. We simultaneously resolve three paradoxes in academic self-concept research with a single unifying meta-theoretical model based on frame-of-reference effects across 68 countries, 18,292 schools, and 485,490 15-year-old students. Paradoxically, but consistent with predictions, effects on math self-concepts were negative for: • being from countries where country-average achievement was high; explaining the paradoxical cross-cultural self-concept effect; • attending schools where school-average achievement was high; demonstrating big-fish-little-pond-effects (BFLPE) that generalized over 68 countries, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)/non-OECD countries, high/low achieving schools, and high/low achieving students; • year-in-school relative to age; unifying different research literatures for associated negative effects for starting school at a younger age and acceleration/skipping grades, and positive effects for starting school at an older age (“academic red shirting”) and, paradoxically, even for repeating a grade. Contextual effects matter, resulting in significant and meaningful effects on self-beliefs, not only at the student (year in school) and local school level (BFLPE), but remarkably even at the macro-contextual country-level. Finally, we juxtapose cross-cultural generalizability based on Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data used here with generalizability based on meta-analyses, arguing that although the two approaches are similar in many ways, the generalizability shown here is stronger in terms of support for the universality of the frame-of-reference effects.

scholarly journals Is Brief Exposure to Green Space in School the Best Option to Improve Attention in Children?

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 7484
Author(s):  
Asier Anabitarte ◽  
Gonzalo García-Baquero ◽  
Ainara Andiarena ◽  
Nerea Lertxundi ◽  
Nerea Urbieta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
School Children ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Statistical Design ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Attention Network Test ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Gender Biases ◽  
Before And After

The positive effects of Green Spaces on health are thought to be achieved through the mechanisms of mitigation, instoration and restoration. One of the benefits of Green Spaces may be the restoration of attention and so the objective of this research is testing empirically whether exposure to a green environment improves attention in school children. For so doing, we first used a split-unit statistical design in each of four schools, then combined the primary results via meta-analysis. The Attention Network Test (ANT) was used to measure attention before and after exposure and a total of 167 seven-year-old students participated in the experiments. Overall, our experimental results do not support the hypothesis that students’ exposure to activities in green vs. grey spaces affected their performance in ANT. This was so despite the fact that neither age nor gender biases have been detected and despite that our experiments have been proved to be sufficiently statistically powerful. It would be advisable to consider air pollution and noise. We also recommend that participants attend the experiment with mental exhaustion to maximize the ability to detect significant changes.

scholarly journals The effects of clinical decision support system for prescribing medication on patient outcomes and physician practice performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharare Taheri Moghadam ◽  
Farahnaz Sadoughi ◽  
Farnia Velayati ◽  
Seyed Jafar Ehsanzadeh ◽  
Shayan Poursharif
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Decision Support ◽  
Patient Outcomes ◽  
Clinical Decision Support ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Physician Practice ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Practice Performance

Abstract Background Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSSs) for Prescribing are one of the innovations designed to improve physician practice performance and patient outcomes by reducing prescription errors. This study was therefore conducted to examine the effects of various CDSSs on physician practice performance and patient outcomes. Methods This systematic review was carried out by searching PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library from 2005 to 2019. The studies were independently reviewed by two researchers. Any discrepancies in the eligibility of the studies between the two researchers were then resolved by consulting the third researcher. In the next step, we performed a meta-analysis based on medication subgroups, CDSS-type subgroups, and outcome categories. Also, we provided the narrative style of the findings. In the meantime, we used a random-effects model to estimate the effects of CDSS on patient outcomes and physician practice performance with a 95% confidence interval. Q statistics and I2 were then used to calculate heterogeneity. Results On the basis of the inclusion criteria, 45 studies were qualified for analysis in this study. CDSS for prescription drugs/COPE has been used for various diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes, gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases, AIDS, appendicitis, kidney disease, malaria, high blood potassium, and mental diseases. In the meantime, other cases such as concurrent prescribing of multiple medications for patients and their effects on the above-mentioned results have been analyzed. The study shows that in some cases the use of CDSS has beneficial effects on patient outcomes and physician practice performance (std diff in means = 0.084, 95% CI 0.067 to 0.102). It was also statistically significant for outcome categories such as those demonstrating better results for physician practice performance and patient outcomes or both. However, there was no significant difference between some other cases and traditional approaches. We assume that this may be due to the disease type, the quantity, and the type of CDSS criteria that affected the comparison. Overall, the results of this study show positive effects on performance for all forms of CDSSs. Conclusions Our results indicate that the positive effects of the CDSS can be due to factors such as user-friendliness, compliance with clinical guidelines, patient and physician cooperation, integration of electronic health records, CDSS, and pharmaceutical systems, consideration of the views of physicians in assessing the importance of CDSS alerts, and the real-time alerts in the prescription.

scholarly journals Effective Components of School-Based Prevention Programs for Child Abuse: A Meta-Analytic Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeanne Gubbels ◽  
Claudia E. van der Put ◽  
Geert-Jan J. M. Stams ◽  
Mark Assink
Keyword(s):  
Child Abuse ◽  
Program Effectiveness ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Prevention Programs ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
School Based ◽  
Analytic Review ◽  
Program Components ◽  
Self Protection

AbstractSchool-based programs seem promising for child abuse prevention. However, research mainly focused on sexual child abuse and knowledge is lacking on how individual program components contribute to the effectiveness of school-based prevention programs for any form of child abuse. This study aimed to examine the overall effect of these school-based programs on (a) children’s child abuse-related knowledge and (b) self-protection skills by conducting two three-level meta-analyses. Furthermore, moderator analyses were performed to identify how program components and delivery techniques were associated with effectiveness. A literature search yielded 34 studies (158 effect sizes; N = 11,798) examining knowledge of child abuse and 22 studies (99 effect sizes; N = 7804) examining self-protection skills. A significant overall effect was found of school-based programs on both knowledge (d = 0.572, 95% CI [0.408, 0.737], p < 0.001) and self-protection skills (d = 0.528, 95% CI [0.262, 0.794], p < 0.001). The results of the first meta-analysis on children’s child abuse knowledge suggest that program effects were larger in programs addressing social–emotional skills of children (d = 0.909 for programs with this component versus d = 0.489 for programs without this component) and self-blame (d = 0.776 versus d = 0.412), and when puppets (d = 1.096 versus d = 0.500) and games or quizzes (d = 0.966 versus d = 0.494) were used. The second meta-analysis on children’s self-protections skills revealed that no individual components or techniques were associated with increased effectiveness. Several other study and program characteristics did moderate the overall effects and are discussed. In general, school-based prevention programs show positive effects on both knowledge and self-protection skills, and the results imply that program effectiveness can be improved by implementing specific components and techniques.

Effects of integrated interventions on growth and development of young children: A meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Dulal ◽  
A Prost ◽  
N Saville ◽  
S Karki ◽  
D Merom
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Usual Care ◽  
Motor Development ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Developmental Outcomes ◽  
Child Growth ◽  
Detectable Effect ◽  
Behaviour Change Techniques ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Abstract Background We did a systematic review to understand: (a) the effects of integrated versus usual care on the developmental outcomes and nutritional status of children under five years; and (b) which intervention characteristics are associated with positive effects. Methods We searched eight electronic databases for studies published between January 2013 and September 2019. Eligible studies were Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) and non-randomised controlled studies of integrated nutrition and stimulation interventions with child growth and developmental outcomes. We extracted data on intervention characteristics including delivery strategies, behaviour change techniques, intervention intensity and delivery personnel. We meta-analysed data for Length-for-age/Height-for-age Z scores (LAZ/HAZ) and cognitive, motor and language development scores, and conducted subgroup analyses by main intervention characteristics. Results Twenty-two unique RCTs met the inclusion criteria, of which 16 were included in the meta-analysis. Compared to the usual care, pooled Effect Sizes (ES) showed small to medium benefits of integrated interventions on cognitive (n = 15, ES 0.64; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.88) and language development scores (n = 10, ES 0.47, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.73) but heterogeneity was high (I2&gt;75%). We found no significant effects of interventions on motor development scores (n = 12, ES 0.31, 95% CI: -0.02, 0.64) or LAZ/HAZ scores (n = 8, ES -0.03, 95% CI: -0.11, 0.03). The effects of interventions on developmental outcomes did not differ by intervention characteristics, and heterogeneity remained high in sub-group analyses. Conclusions Integrated nutrition and stimulation interventions had significant effects on cognitive and language development, but no detectable effect on motor development or linear growth. Our ability to identify intervention characteristics linked to positive effects can be improved by standardising the reporting of implementation processes. Key messages More high-quality trials with longer follow-up duration are needed to examine the role of integrated nutrition and stimulation interventions on growth and developmental outcomes. Future research should map the characteristics of integrated nutrition and stimulation interventions following standardised guidelines to understand their influence on the outcomes reported.

scholarly journals Efficacy and safety of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor agents for the treatment of oesophageal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e046352
Author(s):  
Lijuan Zhang ◽  
Yanli Song ◽  
Nan Jiang ◽  
Yaqi Huang ◽  
Bo Dong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Oesophageal Cancer ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Growth Factor Receptor ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Efficacy And Safety ◽  
Positive Effects

ObjectivesDespite remarkable advances in the treatment of oesophageal cancer (OC), the role of antiepidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) agents in treating OC remains controversial. Herein, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to elucidate the efficacy and safety of anti-EGFR agents in patients with OC.DesignMeta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) identified by searching the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Library, Chinese Biology Medicine, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform databases from inception to December 2019. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.SettingRCTs from any country and healthcare setting.ParticipantsPatients with OC.InterventionsCombination therapy with anti-EGFR agents and conventional treatments versus conventional treatments alone in patients with OC.Primary and secondary outcome measuresOverall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were primary outcome measures, and objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR) and treatment toxicities were secondary outcome measures.ResultsIn total, 25 RCTs comprising 3406 patients with OC were included. Overall, anti-EGFR treatment significantly improved the OS (HR: 0.81, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.89, p<0.00001), ORR (relative risk (RR): 1.33, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.52, p<0.0001) and DCR (RR: 1.22, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.34, p<0.0001) but not PFS (HR: 0.91, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.08, p=0.26). Anti-EGFR treatment was significantly associated with higher incidences of myelosuppression, diarrhoea, acne-like rash and hypomagnesaemia.ConclusionsOverall, anti-EGFR agents have positive effects on OS, the ORR and DCR in OC. However, considering the high incidence of adverse effects, such as myelosuppression, diarrhoea, acne-like rashes and hypomagnesaemia, careful monitoring of patients with OC is recommended during anti-EGFR treatment.Trial registration numberCRD42020169230.

scholarly journals Effective Programs in Elementary Mathematics: A Meta-Analysis

AERA Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 233285842098621
Author(s):  
Marta Pellegrini ◽  
Cynthia Lake ◽  
Amanda Neitzel ◽  
Robert E. Slavin
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Elementary Mathematics ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Classroom Organization ◽  
Benchmark Assessment ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Organization And Management ◽  
Achievement Outcomes

This article reviews research on the achievement outcomes of elementary mathematics programs; 87 rigorous experimental studies evaluated 66 programs in grades K–5. Programs were organized in six categories. Particularly positive outcomes were found for tutoring programs (effect size [ES] = +0.20, k = 22). Positive outcomes were also seen in studies focused on professional development for classroom organization and management (e.g., cooperative learning; ES = +0.19, k = 7). Professional development approaches focused on helping teachers gain in understanding of mathematics content and pedagogy had little impact on student achievement. Professional development intended to help in the adoption of new curricula had a small but significant impact for traditional (nondigital) curricula (ES = +0.12, k = 7), but not for digital curricula. Traditional and digital curricula with limited professional development, as well as benchmark assessment programs, found few positive effects.

Effectiveness of Multimodal Training on Functional Capacity in Frail Older People: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 407-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Lopez ◽  
Mikel Izquierdo ◽  
Regis Radaelli ◽  
Graciele Sbruzzi ◽  
Rafael Grazioli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Maximum Strength ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Frail Older People ◽  
Timed Up And Go ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Multimodal Training

In this meta-analysis, we investigated the effect of resistance training (RT) alone or included in a multimodal training on physical frailty outcomes, and whether different variables of RT prescription affect these outcomes. We identified 15 relevant studies searching through MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, SPORTDiscus, and PEDro database. Postintervention standardized mean difference scores were computed and combined using fixed effects meta-analysis. Analyses have shown positive effects of interventions on maximum strength, gait speed, and Timed Up and Go test. Further analyses have shown significant greater effect of shorter periods on maximum strength. Regarding RT prescription, percentage of one-repetition maximum showed significant effect on physical variables, whereas RT based on rate of perceived effort presented lower effect in the Timed Up and Go test. Although multimodal training is an effective intervention to increase physical capacity, caution should be taken regarding the period and the method to control RT intensity to optimize enhancements in frail older people.

Mindfulness- and Acceptance-Based Interventions for Stroke Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 003435522110432
Author(s):  
Areum Han
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Random Effect Model ◽  
Mental Fatigue ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Meta Analyses

Objective: Mindfulness- and acceptance-based intervention (MABI) is an emerging evidenced-based practice, but no systematic review incorporating meta-analyses for MABIs in stroke survivors has been conducted. The objective of this systematic review was to measure the effectiveness of MABIs on outcomes in people with stroke. Method: Three electronic databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO, were searched to identify relevant studies published in peer-reviewed journals. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed. Data were extracted and combined in a meta-analysis with a random-effect model to compute the size of the intervention effect. Results: A total of 11 studies met the eligibility criteria. Meta-analyses found a small-to-moderate effect of MABIs on depressive symptoms (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.12, 0.66]) and a large effect on mental fatigue (SMD = 1.22, 95% CI = [0.57, 1.87]). No statistically significant effect of MABIs on anxiety, quality of life, and mindfulness was found, but there was a trend in favor of MABIs overall. Conclusions: This meta-analysis found positive effects of MABIs on depressive symptoms and mental fatigue in stroke survivors, but future high-quality studies are needed to guarantee treatment effects of MABIs on varied outcomes in stroke survivors.

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