Effect of active learning versus traditional lecturing on the learning achievement of college students in humanities and social sciences: a meta-analysis

Abstract

A previous meta-analysis found that active learning has a positive impact on learning achievements for college students in STEM fields of study. However, no similar meta-analyses have been conducted in the humanities and social sciences. Because major dissimilarities may exist between different fields or domain of knowledge, there can be issues with transferring research findings or knowledge across fields. We therefore meta-analyzed 104 studies that used assessment scores to compare the learning achieved by college students in humanities and social science programs under active instruction versus traditional lecturing. Student performance on assessment scores was found to be higher by 0.489 standard deviations under active instruction (Z = 6.521, p < 0.001, k = 111, N = 15,896). The relative beneficial effect of active instruction was found to be higher for some course subject matters (i.e., Sociology, Psychology, Language, Education, and Economics), for smaller (≤ 20 students) rather than larger class or group sizes, and for upper level rather than introductory courses. Analyses further suggest that these findings are not affected by publication bias.

The role of feedback type and peer interaction on knowledge acquisition in a flipped classroom on social science research methods

“…Another point of deliberation concerns course sizes. While active instruction is generally more effective than traditional lecturing, this effect is more pronounced for group sizes below 20 students (Kozanitis & Nenciovici, 2022). A stronger effect also applies to upper-level classes as opposed to introductory courses, like in this study.…”

Students' Perceptions of Learning Critical Thinking in College English Reading Courses Through Traditional Classroom Lectures

“…Furthermore, investigating the fundamental elements influencing how students view conventional lectures-such as methods of instruction, methods of engagement, and classroom dynamics-provides insightful information for improving the efficacy of teaching strategies in college English reading courses (Ng, 2023;Kozanitis & Nenciovici, 2023;Gumartifa et al,2023). Teachers can modify their teaching strategies to produce more effective and interesting learning experiences that meet the different needs of their students by taking into account the subtle differences in students' attitudes toward standard lectures.…”

A Generic Multilevel Structure for Educational Escape Rooms

“…Active learning is an alternative paradigm to traditional lecturing, where a more student-centered approach is taken [1]. This way, students get a more proactive role in their education, while the teacher's role turns into a facilitator in their learning process [2].…”