A Comparative Meta-Analysis of Integrated and Disciplinary Science Curricula: Effects on Students' Scientific Literacy

Amid rapid scientific and technological progress and growing interdisciplinarity, scientific literacy has become critically important. This meta-analysis investigated the comparative effects of integrated and disciplinary science curricula on students’ scientific literacy, synthesizing findings from nine studies published between 2007 and 2022, encompassing a total of 14 datasets. The results revealed a higher overall standardized mean difference (SMD = 0.497) for the integrated science curriculum, surpassing that of the disciplinary curriculum. The most substantial improvements were observed in scientific understanding (SMD = 0.637) and scientific attitude and responsibility (SMD = 0.620). Across educational stages, the strongest effect was found at the primary level (SMD = 1.528), followed by a medium but significant effect at the lower secondary level (SMD = 0.255), while the effect at the upper secondary level was medium (SMD = 0.372) and statistically non-significant. Meta-regression analysis showed that sample size had no significant impact, whereas implementation duration was a significant negative predictor of student outcomes (p = .001). These findings underscore the effectiveness of integrated science curricula in enhancing scientific literacy and provide valuable insights for future curriculum development.