Empirical evidence underscores the limited awareness among children and adolescents concerning prevalent big data practices, coupled with a lack of understanding regarding the purposes and mechanisms underpinning the utilization of their personal data. Despite the recognized need to augment children's competencies for managing and protecting their personal data, a conspicuous gap exists in the literature, which lacks a systematic identification and organization of these competencies. Existing frameworks predominantly focus on adult populations, and do not address the unique needs, perspectives, and challenges faced by students in comprehending and managing their personal data. Furthermore, the literature discusses the matter using a variety of similar terms, while at the same time lacking an established definition. This review examined the literature to (a) understand the state-of-the-art around students’ literacy regarding personal data, (b) provide a definition for such kind of literacy, (c), identify pedagogical guidelines for personal data literacy and, (d) elucidate students’ fundamental competencies through the proposal of a competency framework. In total, thirty studies, encompassing empirical and theoretical research on critical and personal data literacy, have been identified and analyzed, using the PRISMA guidelines. The results informed the development of the Personal Data Literacy (PeDaL) framework, which offers instructional guidelines for designing learning experiences to cultivate student’s personal data literacy.
Vocabulary knowledge is essential for language development and a strong predictor of later academic achievement. Substantial disparities in vocabulary in the language of instruction are evident at the beginning of formal schooling, especially among children with increased risk for challenges in language development because of low socioeconomic status, limited proficiency in the language of instruction, ethnicity different from the majority, diagnosed language impairment or language delay. This meta-analysis synthesized findings from 30 interventions (N = 4,184 students; 109 independent effect sizes) that evaluated vocabulary interventions for children facing elevated risk for challenges in language development aged 4;0 to 7;11 years. A multilevel meta-analysis revealed a moderate overall effect of vocabulary interventions (Hedges’ g = 0.62) and moderation effects by type of control group (alternate treatment vs. business-as-usual treatment) and outcome (proximal, researcher-developed vs. distal, standardized test). Business-as-usual treatment yielded larger effect sizes than alternate treatment. Further, using proximal, researcher-developed tests indicated higher effect sizes than distal, standardized tests. The results underscore the importance of systematic vocabulary interventions in formal educational settings. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Student mental health is an increasingly pressing concern in higher education globally, yet efforts to deal with this issue are often hampered by inconsistencies in defining and measuring mental health and wellbeing. This systematic review synthesizes empirical research examining the measurement approaches used to assess mental health and wellbeing among university students. Thirty-one high-quality studies published between 2008 and 2024 were identified through rigorous screening and quality appraisal processes. The review explores the purpose, conceptual coherence, psychometric robustness, and educational relevance of instruments used to assess student mental health (most commonly operationalised in the literature as psychological distress) and psychological or subjective wellbeing (most commonly operationalised as flourishing, thriving, life satisfaction, and quality of life) employed across diverse higher education contexts. Findings reveal a predominant reliance on clinical symptom-based tools such as the DASS-21, PHQ-9, GAD-7 and PSS-10, while measures of positive wellbeing and context-sensitive tools tailored to higher education settings remain comparatively underutilised. Few reviewed studies embedded educational constructs such as academic engagement, self-efficacy or belonging into their assessment frameworks. This review argues for a shift towards more integrative, theory-informed approaches that combine assessments of psychological distress with indicators of positive wellbeing and educational experiences. By doing so, university policies and practices can move beyond reactive support models towards designing educational environments that promote and support overall student wellbeing.
Computational Thinking (CT) is considered a core 21st-century skill that should be developed early. Educational robotics has been introduced to kindergarten settings to foster the CT learning process. However, there is no systematic review documenting the learning strategies and CT frameworks employed for CT development in kindergarten through robotics. Similarly, there is no updated presentation of the examined CT skills at this level. Furthermore, there is no up-to-date systematic record and classification of the CT assessment tools used to measure CT skills specifically in the kindergarten context. The existing reviews of CT assessment examine broad educational settings ranging from kindergarten through higher education, and do not focus exclusively on educational robotics. Therefore, this systematic review analyses 53 out of 2306 studies published from 2015 to March 2026 across 7 databases, examining robot-mediated CT development in kindergarten. It explored the learning strategies, CT frameworks, CT skills, and assessment tools employed. Our findings indicate that problem-based learning, storytelling, and scaffolding are the most frequently employed strategies in robot-mediated CT learning. In the reviewed articles, four CT frameworks were identified, although most of the studies did not specify any framework. CT concepts and practices are most frequently examined, while CT perspectives remain underexplored. Total CT, sequencing, debugging, and algorithmic design are the most assessed CT skills. Regarding CT assessment tools, TechCheck-K is the most widely used, although in many cases, the assessment tools are developed ad hoc and lack formal validation.
Early mathematics interventions in pre-primary education are generally effective, but prior syntheses rarely distinguish the dominant pedagogical approach used and provide limited evidence on which study or implementation features are associated with effects within each approach. This three-level meta-analysis synthesized 74 studies (2000–2025) of early mathematics interventions in preschool and kindergarten, focusing on two broad pedagogical approaches: intentional teaching and exploratory play. Studies were classified by dominant pedagogical emphasis as intentional teaching (k = 56) or exploratory play (k = 18), yielding 566 effect sizes. Both approaches were associated with positive effects on children's learning (intentional teaching: g = 0.32; exploratory play: g = 0.21), and the difference between approaches was not statistically significant. Moderator analyses examined heterogeneity by program design, intervention conditions and outcome evaluation. For intentional teaching, effects were larger for advanced numeracy outcomes (quantitative comparison: g = 0.42; calculation: g = 0.45) than for foundational number and counting skills (g = 0.21). Effects also attenuated over time, with smaller follow-up than immediate post-test effects (post-test: g = 0.34; follow-up: g = 0.20), suggesting partial fadeout. For exploratory play, interventions incorporating contextual scenarios showed larger effects (g = 0.47) than those without (g = 0.13), and effects were stronger for math-specific outcomes (g = 0.26) than for non-math outcomes (g = −0.01). Overall, the findings support the use of both pedagogical approaches in early mathematics programs and highlight the need to align instructional design with targeted numeracy goals and to sustain learning gains over time.
The concept of data literacy suffers from a persistent theoretical and definitional fragmentation. To contribute to more coherence in the field, we introduce two systematic literature reviews. Together, they provide an integrated overview of how data literacy is conceptualized in competency frameworks and represented in measurement instruments. The first review analyzed 15 frameworks developed for higher education and related contexts after applying rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria. The content analysis focused on target groups, structural characteristics, and competency dimensions. The second review examined six instruments designed to assess data literacy after applying rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria. The content analysis focused on targeted competencies, validation approaches, and provided a quality appraisal. The synthesis shows that frameworks describe data literacy in broad and multidimensional terms, whereas instruments capture only a narrower subset of competencies, often emphasizing technical skills while reflective and ethical dimensions remain underrepresented. Most instruments rely on self-report formats and provide limited validation evidence, raising concerns about their ability to capture applied and context-dependent competencies. Building on these insights, the study proposes a Core–Periphery Framework (COPERDALE) that distinguishes a stable core of fundamental skills from more flexible, context-dependent competencies. This structure clarifies which dimensions can be universally assessed and which require contextual adaptation. Beyond conceptual clarification, the findings underscore the need to diversify assessment practices, moving beyond self-reports toward approaches that better capture applied, reflective and ethical aspects of data literacy. The review thereby offers both a structured conceptual foundation and directions for advancing research and educational practice.
Metacognition is fundamental to effective mathematical problem-solving, particularly in conceptually demanding domains such as calculus. However, while dynamic mathematics software such as GeoGebra is widely used to support exploratory learning, evidence on how such tools mediate metacognitive processes remains dispersed. Guided by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) and the ABC Systematic Literature Review (SLR) model, this review synthesises empirical research on GeoGebra-supported metacognition in mathematics learning. A systematic search of four databases (Scopus, ERIC, Web of Science (WoS), and Google Scholar) identified 18 peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2010 and 2025. Qualitative thematic synthesis revealed four recurring patterns of metacognitive engagement: (1) awareness during task interpretation and conceptualisation, supported by dynamic visualisation; (2) regulation through strategic exploration, monitoring, and iterative adjustment enabled by real-time feedback; (3) evaluation enacted primarily through visual verification and cross-representational checking; and (4) tool adaptation through instrumental genesis, whereby learners progressively appropriate GeoGebra as a cognitive instrument. The evidence base is predominantly qualitative, offering rich process-oriented insights but limited longitudinal and experimental validation. The findings synthesise how technology-mediated environments support students’ metacognitive awareness, regulation, and evaluation during mathematics problem-solving. By identifying recurring patterns of digital affordances and constraints, this review offers evidence-informed insights for the design and pedagogical integration of interactive learning technologies aimed at fostering metacognitive engagement.
Arts-based pedagogies have increasingly been mobilised in early childhood environmental and sustainability education; however, they are predominantly conceptualised as expressive activities, motivational tools, or instructional techniques aimed at predefined cognitive or behavioural outcomes. As a result, the epistemic roles of the arts in shaping how sustainability knowledge is produced remain under-theorised. This review reconceptualises arts-based pedagogy as a form of epistemic mediation, foregrounding how pedagogical configurations, material conditions, and relational encounters actively organise processes of meaning-making in early childhood sustainability education. Adopting a mixed research synthesis, the review integrates 32 qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies to examine how arts-based pedagogies mediate relationships between pedagogical forms, sustainability content, learning processes, and epistemic orientations. The synthesis demonstrates that arts-based pedagogies function not merely as representational or supportive practices, but as epistemic arrangements through which knowledge is constructed as embodied, affective, relational, and situated. Findings further reveal an ontological shift from learning about nature toward becoming-with human and more-than-human worlds, highlighting the centrality of affective and ethical orientations as well as children's agency in sustainability learning. Additionally, the review identifies digital and AI-mediated arts-based practices as an emerging area for future inquiry, raising critical questions regarding technological and algorithmic mediation, epistemic authority, children's agency, and pedagogical responsibility. By articulating arts-based pedagogy as epistemic mediation, this review advances a theoretically grounded framework that contributes to rethinking knowledge, learning, and pedagogy in early childhood environmental and sustainability education.
This meta-analytic review examines the effectiveness of math attitude interventions on math attitudes, math emotions, math self-regulated strategies, and math performance in school-age students. A systematic search identified 28 studies (142 effects) at post-test, of which five (49 effects) also reported follow-up data. At post-test, interventions showed a large and positive effect on math attitudes (g = 0.34, 95% CI [0.17, 0.52]; p < .001), and a large reduction in negative math emotions (g = -0.40, 95% CI [-0.66, -0.13]; p = .003). Medium positive effects emerged for math self-regulated strategies (g = 0.30, 95% CI [0.13, 0.47]; p < .001) and math performance (g = 0.27, 95% CI [0.14, 0.41]; p < .001). Effects on positive emotions for math were nonsignificant (g = 0.30, 95% CI [-0.83, 1.33]; p = .651), based on only three studies. None of the moderators of math attitude outcomes—intervention approach, delivery agent, intervention duration, and student school level—reached significance. Analyses of publication bias suggested small-study effects for math attitudes, although a modest effect remained after bias correction; no bias was detected for math negative emotions or math performance. Follow-up effects were null and nonsignificant across math attitudes, math self-regulated strategies, and math performance, based on a limited number of studies. Overall, math attitude interventions yield meaningful short-term benefits, including improved math performance, but longer-term effects remain unclear. Future research should prioritize theory-driven studies testing mechanisms linking attitudinal, emotional, and self-regulated strategy changes to sustained outcomes, and examine generalizability across diverse educational contexts.
This systematic review investigates how use of research in schools has been framed and described in empirical literature, identifying the prevalent barriers and enablers reported. Systematic searches were conducted in January 2025 across Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC databases, yielding 23,299 records after duplicates were removed. After a double-blind screening process in two stages, 109 studies were included based on a priori eligibility criteria: studies focusing on engagement with research among teachers and school leaders in primary and secondary education, published in English-language, and in peer-reviewed journals. Study quality was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) through a double-blind process. Data were synthesized based on an initial framework consolidating recent conceptualizations and theory on research use in education The findings highlight that while research use is a complex phenomenon shaped by systemic influences, it has been studied primarily at the individual level. The analysis identified four governing mechanisms - trust, relationships, skills development, and sustainable structures - that span from outside the system through the organizational level to individual educator practice. Consequently, in this review we propose a conceptual shift from “implementation” of research findings toward an “integration” of research with other knowledge sources and professional wisdom through thoughtful engagement. This interpretation suggests that moving beyond symbolic appropriation of research requires fostering professional agency through sustainable structures, rather than relying on instrumental mandates of evidence-based practice.
School-based social-emotional learning (SEL) programs have been found to be largely efficacious across high income countries (HICs) in promoting students' socioemotional development. Yet, much more limited research evaluates the impact of SEL programming across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The current scoping review seeks to contribute to this gap by examining the efficacy of SEL curriculum implemented across LMICs. Three databases were searched and articles included in the current review evaluated school-based SEL programs implemented in LMICs. Forty articles were identified for inclusion, detailing programs across 18 countries. Findings from the included studies largely support positive effects of SEL programming on students’ overall social emotional competence and targeted SEL skills. Slightly more mixed effects were found across the areas of mental health outcomes and academic achievement. Implications of these findings and recommendations for future directions are discussed.
This systematic review examines school board–principal relationships through Stewardship Theory, focusing on the shift from bureaucratic control toward trust-based collaboration. Adhering to PRISMA 2020 standards, 79 empirical studies published between 1980 and 30 April 2026 were examined across diverse international contexts to determine how role clarity, mutual accountability, trust-based communication, and co-leadership influence governance effectiveness. The findings indicate a clear transition from compliance-driven models to relational accountability grounded in reciprocal responsibility and professional trust. Effective collaboration is contingent upon well-defined yet adaptable role boundaries, competent and ethically aligned boards, supportive policy, and societal trust environments. Trust-based relationships promote strategic coherence, innovation, and stakeholder engagement, while control-oriented relationships are associated with conflict, role ambiguity, and reduced legitimacy. The review conceptualizes school governance as a dynamic, multi-level system comprising contextual conditions, relational mechanisms, and outcomes, all of which extend Stewardship Theory to explain when and how collaboration advances effective and ethical educational governance.
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy becomes a global educational priority, a growing number of interventions have been introduced across diverse contexts. However, it remains unclear how, and under what conditions, these interventions support student development in AI literacy. To address this gap, we conducted a three-level meta-analysis of 59 empirical studies, synthesizing 172 effect sizes drawn from 7211 participants. The analysis estimates the overall impact of AI literacy interventions and examines variation across study characteristics, instructional approaches, and assessment methods. Results show a large and statistically significant overall effect size (g = 0.837, p < .001). Notably, substantial heterogeneity and a wide 95% prediction interval [-0.292, 1.966] suggest that the effectiveness of AI literacy interventions varies considerably across educational settings and may not generalize uniformly across contexts. Moderator analyses identify the geographical region and learning-outcome focus as significant factors: interventions in East Asia and Europe yielded stronger effects than those in North America, and knowledge-focused interventions outperformed those targeting skills, attitudes, or ethics. Despite non-significant moderator effects, larger effect sizes were observed for mixed or reflective pedagogies, generative AI (Gen) tools, and performance tasks, warranting further investigation. Together, these findings suggest that AI literacy education should move beyond knowledge and conceptual understanding toward skills, practices, ethics, and attitudes. This shift may be supported by integrated pedagogies that combine conceptual learning, hands-on making, reflection, and GenAI-supported tools. The geographic variation also highlights the need for culturally relevant and context-sensitive interventions that respond to local educational priorities, technological conditions, and learner needs.
International students often struggle to build meaningful social interactions with host nationals, which can hinder their sense of belonging, well-being, and academic adjustment. While a growing body of literature has explored the factors influencing these interactions, findings remain fragmented across studies, lacking a coherent and systematic structure. This systematic review applies the person–environment (P–E) fit theory to categorize and structure the influencing factors identified in previous research. Drawing on 47 peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2024, we identified and synthesized factors across three analytical dimensions: personal, environmental, and P–E fit. Our review highlights 12 key factors, with language-related issues emerging as a central theme across all dimensions. Importantly, we demonstrate that the fit between students’ individual characteristics and the host university environment is a crucial but underexplored determinant of successful social integration. This review offers a relational, developmental, and interactional understanding of international students’ social interactions with host nationals and provides practical implications for higher education institutions aiming to support international students’ social engagement at the host university.
In recent years, place-based learning (PBL) has increasingly gained recognition and practice for its contribution to K-12 science education. However, the existing literature lacks a comprehensive review that systematically investigates the progress and implementation of PBL in K-12 science education. To bridge research and practice, this study conducted a systematic literature review of 68 studies published in internationally reputed journals. The findings revealed that PBL promotes authentic inquiry, fosters students' engagement in social transformation, and integrates local knowledge into science education. Scientific inquiry skills, understanding of human-environment relationships and critical thinking are identified as the main objectives. Main topics include regional sustainable development, biodiversity, and global climate change. Embodied experience, community-based project, and place-based socioscientific issues are frequently employed in the learning process. In terms of assessment, questionnaires & tests, specific formative assessment tasks are more appropriate methods. Moreover, the findings also suggest that PBL in K-12 science education encounters a range of challenges, including synergizing with standards-based science education, teachers' capacity for place-based pedagogy, differences in students’ inherent sense of place, and support from inside and outside the school. The study provides a systematic comprehension of PBL in K-12 science education, filling a gap in the existing literature, providing valuable suggestions for future research and practice.
Given new legislative pushes to incorporate media literacy into curricula and concerns regarding increasingly intrusive and exploitative advertising, this systematic literature review examines the dimensions of advertising literacy investigated over the last 15 years and how these have been assessed. Based on an analysis of 56 studies, published in peer-reviewed journals, advertising literacy has most commonly been conceptualized as including cognitive (conceptual), affective (attitudinal), and moral dimensions. Critical reasoning, as an advertising literacy dimension, was most often assessed as students’ recognition of persuasive intent, neglecting examinations of students’ evaluation of advertisements as cultural products or analysis of the techniques used to accomplish persuasive ends. Assessments of advertising literacy largely focused on student outcomes, neglecting the cognitive processes involved when individuals encounter advertisements. Also, across dimensions of advertising literacy, the assessments used were predominantly rating scales. In contrast, open-ended questions capturing students’ elaborated reasoning about advertisements were often not examined. Further, process measures (e.g., eye-tracking, think-alouds) were less commonly used. Authors suggest the need to integrate the assessment of high-order thinking and critical thinking skills into frameworks of advertising literacy.
Despite growing evidence of the relations between L2 emotions and the willingness to communicate (WTC) in a second language, few research syntheses have examined the variability in their correlations across individual studies or the sources of such variability. This meta-analysis aggregated the associations between three L2 emotions (anxiety, enjoyment, and boredom) and WTC and examined whether the correlations between L2 emotions and WTC vary as a function of a set of extensively speculated moderators (i.e. cultural group, educational level, target language, and measurement instrument). Relevant studies (n = 64) over the past fifteen years were included for the meta-analysis. The results indicate a large correlation between enjoyment and WTC (r = .636), a moderate correlation between boredom and WTC (r = −.404), and a moderate correlation between anxiety and WTC (r = −.376). The correlations displayed significant heterogeneity across studies. Moderator analyses provided strong evidence that cultural group and target language moderate these relationships, weak evidence that educational level serves as a moderator, and robust evidence that emotion measures, but not WTC measures, moderate effect sizes. These findings refine our understanding of the emotional correlates of WTC and offer implications for both future research and pedagogical interventions.
Project-Based Learning (PjBL) has generated numerous meta-analyses, yet findings vary substantially, with academic-achievement effect sizes ranging from d = 0.277 to d = 1.28. This umbrella review systematically identified, appraised, and synthesized 15 meta-analyses of PjBL effects on academic and cognitive outcomes. Three databases (Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC) were searched for peer-reviewed meta-analyses published from 2010 onwards. Methodological quality was assessed with AMSTAR 2, primary-study overlap with the Corrected Covered Area (CCA), and findings were synthesized narratively by outcome domain. No second-order pooling was performed, given heterogeneity in metrics, outcomes, and comparison conditions. The 15 reviews drew on 351 unique primary studies recoverable from the 13 reviews with identifiable lists. Median effect sizes for academic achievement, higher-order thinking, computational thinking, and language proficiency clustered in the medium range (d ≈ 0.58–0.75); creativity could not be reliably synthesized, resting on a single review with confirmed publication bias and a confidence interval crossing zero. AMSTAR 2 rated all 15 reviews (100%) Critically Low, with absent protocol registration, absent justification of excluded studies, and inadequate primary-study risk-of-bias assessment the key weaknesses. The CCA was 0.28%, indicating slight overlap, with no primary study appearing in more than two reviews. Moderator analyses associated larger effects with small collaborative groups and technology integration, whereas implementation duration and subject area showed no consistent pattern. The evidence indicates a directionally reliable positive effect of PjBL over comparison conditions (most commonly traditional instruction), but confidence in effect magnitude is limited by the methodological quality of the existing literature.
This umbrella review investigates the impact of technological pedagogical innovations on physics education by synthesizing evidence from 19 systematic reviews and meta-analyses published between 2020 and 2025. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of emerging technologies, including PhET simulations, virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and blended learning modalities—as well as pedagogical strategies such as problem-based learning and inquiry-based learning, on key educational outcomes like conceptual understanding, critical thinking, and student motivation. Employing the AMSTAR 2 tool to assess methodological quality and principles from the GRADE system to rate the certainty of evidence, the review reveals substantial heterogeneity in study quality, with 58% of included reviews rated as low confidence. Meta-analytical findings show high variability, with effect sizes ranging from modest to extraordinarily large (g = −0.14 to 17.52), and an overall effect of g = 3.01 with 89.5% heterogeneity. The study also identifies gaps related to accessibility, teacher training, and implementation contexts, especially in underserved populations. Results indicate that while digital tools enhance physics learning when properly implemented, their effectiveness hinges on pedagogical design, infrastructure availability, and educator preparedness. The review highlights the need for future research on artificial intelligence, adaptive gamification, and learning analytics, particularly in low-resource educational settings, and underscores the importance of interdisciplinary approaches, equity considerations, and methodological rigor.
