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

Within-class grouping

Overview

  • Influence: Within-class grouping
  • Domain: Classroom
  • Sub-Domain: Class composition effects
  • Potential to Accelerate Student Achievement: Potential to accelerate
  • Influence Definition: Organizing students into small groups by interest, skill, ability, or various other factors within their regular classroom.

Evidence

  • Number of meta-analyses: 8
  • Number of studies: 224
  • Number of students: 24,065
  • Number of effects: 291
  • Weighted mean effect size: 0.38
  • Robustness index: 3

Meta-Analyses

Meta-Analyses
Journal Title Author Article Name Year Published Variable Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Effect Size
Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness Puzio & Colby The Effects of Within Class Grouping on Reading Achievement: A Meta-Analytic Synthesis 2010 Within class grouping in reading 15 5,410 28 0.22
Conference paper Lou, Abrami, Spence, Poulsen, Chambers, & d'Apollonia A Meta-analysis of the effects of homogeneous versus heterogeneous group ability composition on student achievement: Looking at the "best" evidence. 1996 Within class grouping 51 16,073 103 0.17
Springer, Stanne & Donovan Measuring the success of small-group learning in college-level SMET teaching: A meta-analysis. 1999 Working in small groups in science 39 NA 37 0.51
Dissertation Jecks Flexible skills grouping of elementary students for reading instruction: A meta-analytic review 2011 Flexible grouping in reading 11 1,656 11 0.56
Teaching of Psychology Tomcho & Foels Meta-Analysis of Group Learning Activities: Empirically Based Teaching Recommendations 2012 Small group learning in psychology 35 NA 37 0.49
Educational Psychology Review Pai, Sears, & Maeda Effects of Small-Group Learning on Transfer: a Meta-Analysis 2015 Small group vs individual on transfer 38 NA 38 0.30
Journal of Statistics Education Kalaian & Kasim 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
Journal of School Psychology Hall & Burns Meta-analysis of targeted small-group reading interventions 2018 Small group on reading 26 NA 27 0.54
TOTAL/AVERAGE 224 24,065 291 0.41
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