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Version 1.1 – Updated August 2021

Small group learning

Overview

  • Influence: Small group learning
  • Domain: Classroom
  • Sub-Domain: Class composition effects
  • Potential to Accelerate Student Achievement: Potential to accelerate
  • Influence Definition: This is where students are grouped into smaller groups within the class.

Evidence

  • Number of meta-analyses: 7
  • Number of studies: 209
  • Number of students: 6,054
  • Number of effects: 340
  • Effect size: 0.47

Meta-Analyses

Meta-Analyses
Journal Title Author First Author's Country Article Name Year Published Variable Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Effect Size
National Center for Improving Science Educ., and National Inst. for Science Education Springer, Stanne & Donovan USA Effects of cooperative learning on academic achievement among undergraduates in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology: A meta-analysis 1997 Working in small groups in college 39 3,472 116 0.46
Review of Educational Research Springer, Stanne & Donovan USA Effects of small-group learning on undergraduates in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology: A meta-analysis 1999 Working in small groups in science 39 0 39 0.51
Unpublished Thesis Jecks USA Flexible skills grouping of elementary students for reading instruction: A meta-analytic review 2011 Flexible grouping in reading 11 1,656 11 0.56
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology Liu & Beaujean USA The effectiveness of team-based learning on academic outcomes: A meta-analysis. 2017 Team-based learning 38 0 89 0.47
Teaching of Psychology Tomcho & Foels USA Meta-Analysis of Group Learning Activities: Empirically Based Teaching Recommendations 2012 Small group learning in psychology 35 0 37 0.49
Educational Psychology Review Pai, Sears, & Maeda USA Effects of Small-Group Learning on Transfer: a Meta-Analysis 2015 Small group vs individual on transfer 38 0 38 0.30
Journal of Statistics Education Kalaian & Kasim USA A Meta-Analytic Review of Studies of the Effectiveness of Small-Group Learning Methods on Statistics Achievement 2014 Small group in university 9 926 10 0.47
TOTAL/AVERAGE 209 6,054 340 0.47

Confidence

The Confidence is the average of these four measures, each divided into five approximately equal groups and assigned a value from 1 to 5 based on the following criteria:

  • Number of Meta-analyses
    • 1 = 1
    • 2 = 2–3
    • 3 = 4–6
    • 4 = 7–9
    • 5 = 10+
  • Number of Studies
    • 1 = 1–10
    • 2 = 11–50
    • 3 = 51–200
    • 4 = 201–400
    • 5 = 400+
  • Number of Students
    • 1 = 1–2,500
    • 2 = 2,501–10,000
    • 3 = 10,000–20,000
    • 4 = 20,000–100,000
    • 5 = 100,001+
  • Number of Effects
    • 1 = 1–100
    • 2 = 101–300
    • 3 = 301–600
    • 4 = 601–1,200
    • 5 = 1,200+
Confidences
Number of Meta-Analyses Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Overall Confidence
Confidence Factor 4 4 2 3 3
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