A second-order meta-analysis of interventions and their effectiveness in STEMM education: effects on motivational, affective, and attitudinal outcomes

Abstract

Background: The STEMM sector is increasingly vital, with a growing demand for skilled professionals. Beyond cognitive skills, non-cognitive factors such as motivation, affect, and attitudes have a significant influence on STEMM performance and aspirations. To gain an overview of the field of research, a second-order meta-analysis was conducted on the effectiveness of interventions on non-cognitive outcomes in STEMM education. A systematic search (2000–2023) identified 6664 review studies, from which 42 meta-analyses containing 64 meta-analytic effect sizes were included. These encompassed 1903 primary studies, covering both K-12 and higher education contexts. The interventions were categorized by the targeted outcome, intervention method, and targeted STEMM discipline. Results: Mathematics was the most frequently studied subject, and common interventions included applications of educational technology and student-centered instruction. The most studied outcomes were attitudes towards STEMM and affective factors, such as mathematics anxiety and satisfaction. Overall, interventions showed a significant positive effect on non-cognitive outcomes (d = 0.42, 95% CI [0.35, 0.50], p