This article systematically reviews the pedagogical approaches
adopted in high school chemistry education with the aim of highlighting
the most effective evidence-based instructional practices reported
in the literature. For this, a meta-analysis of 35 pedagogical approaches
is analyzed, and their effect sizes (Cohen’s d) are compared in terms of students’ learning performance.
In comparison to the traditional teaching approach, the data confirmed
the effectiveness of using various teaching strategies in chemistry
education toward student accomplishment. The results indicate that,
in general, deploying chemistry education practices in secondary education
improves student learning compared to control settings (d = 1.06). Furthermore, this impact is considerably stronger when
the problem-based learning approach (d = 3.35) is
adopted. Therefore, according to the meta-analytical evaluation, embracing
various learning paths through creative teaching promotes academic
achievement. In terms of instructional quality, the findings provide
a comprehensive picture of recent educational practices in chemistry
instruction, which will serve as the foundation for future educational
changes. We believe the results of this study will promote a progression
of intimation to evolve the current high school chemistry practices
and pave the direction for future research in chemistry education.