Promoting student attitudes toward science and mathematics: A meta-analysis of experimental and quasi-experimental studies

There is a pressing need to motivate students for science and mathematics, and for science and technology-related careers. The ambition of Dutch policy is to increase the percentage of science and technology-related graduates from secondary and tertiary education from 25% in 2011 to 40% in 2025. Research has shown that affective factors such as attitude toward science and mathematics have more influence on educational choices than cognitive ones such as achievement. Over the past decades, several types of interventions have been developed and (quasi-)experimental studies have measured both student achievement and attitude. However, meta-analyses have so far taken only achievement as the dependent variable. The meta-analysis proposed here takes attitude as the primary and achievement as the secondary dependent variable. The main question addressed in this meta-analysis is: What are the effects of different types of interventions on student attitudes and achievement in science and mathematics? To answer this question we will summarize and analyze the experimental and quasi-experimental studies of the last 25 years that measured effects of intervention types on student attitudes and achievement. This includes computer-based, inquiry- and context-based interventions and collaborative learning strategies, all types of interventions that sought to promote student attitudes and achievement at the primary and secondary school level. The analysis will not only provide an overall effect size but also insight into the variance and differences between subgroups of studies. With these results, stakeholders in science and mathematics education can make evidence-based decisions on how to promote student attitudes and achievement.