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Visible Learning™
Visible Learning MetaX™
Version 1.4 – Updated February 2026

Advance organizers

Overview

  • Influence: Advance organizers
  • Domain: Teaching Strategies
  • Sub-Domain: Learning intentions
  • Potential to Accelerate Student Achievement: Potential to accelerate
  • Influence Definition: These organizational tools aim to help students structure the information they are about to learn.

Evidence

  • Number of meta-analyses: 10
  • Number of studies: 901
  • Number of students: 1,968
  • Number of effects: 2,191
  • Weighted mean effect size: 0.42
  • Robustness index: 4

Meta-Analyses

Meta-Analyses
Journal Title Author Article Name Year Published Variable Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Effect Size
Evaluation in Education Kozlow & White A meta-analysis of selected advance organizer research reports from 1960-1977 1978 Advance organizers 77 NA 91 0.89
American Educational Research Journal Luiten, Ames & Ackerman A meta-analysis of the effects of advance organizers on learning and retention 1980 Advance organizers 135 NA 160 0.21
Book Marzano, Gaddy, & Dean What Works in Classroom Instruction 2000 Advance organizers 358 NA 358 0.48
Journal of Experimental Education Stone A Meta-Analysis of Advance Organizer Studies 1983 Advance organizers 29 NA 112 0.66
Journal of Research in Science Teaching Lott The effect of inquiry teaching and advance organizers upon student outcomes in science education 1983 Advance organizers in science 16 NA 147 0.24
Dissertation Asencio Effects of Behavioral Objectives on Student Achievement: A Meta-Analysis of Findings 1984 Behavioral objectives 111 NA 111 0.12
American Educational Research Journal Klauer Intentional and Incidental Learning with Instructional Texts: A Meta-Analysis for 1970-1980 1984 Intentional learning 23 NA 52 0.40
Dissertation Rolhelser-Bennett Four models of teaching: a meta-analysis of student outcomes 1987 Advance organizers 12 1,968 45 0.80
Dissertation Mahar Thirty years after Ausubel: An updated meta-analysis of advance organizer research. 1992 Advance organizers 50 NA 50 0.44
Dissertation Catts The integration of research findings: a review of meta-analysis methodology and an application to research on the effects of knowledge objectives 1992 Intentional learning 90 NA 1,065 0.35
TOTAL/AVERAGE 901 1,968 2,191 0.46
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