A Meta-Analysis of Social Studies Interventions for Secondary Students’ Learning

A range of social studies interventions have been researched to support students’ learning and improve teachers’ instruction. This meta-analysis evaluates the impact of these interventions on secondary students’ learning. A systematic literature search identified 68 studies with 77 independent samples and 146 effect sizes for students in Grades 6 to 12. Using random-effects robust variance estimation (RVE), we found that social studies interventions had a positive, medium effect size (g = .54) on student learning outcomes. Moderator analyses examined factors like grade level, domain, implementer, intervention duration, measured constructs, publication type, and study quality. Results showed greater effectiveness for content acquisition (g = .58) and social studies writing (g = .58) than for reading comprehension (g = .05). Except for measured constructs, other moderators were not significant. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.