The present study adopted a meta-analytic approach to evaluate reflective interventions that were conducted with the intention to promote learning outcomes in higher education, using controlled experimental designs. A systematic search of the extant literature yielded 23 articles, comprising 23 effect sizes and a total of 2010 participants. Under a random-effects model, the results showed that reflective interventions had a positive and significant medium-sized effect (g = 0.56, SE = 0.06) on learning outcomes. The moderator analyses revealed that the effect varied as a function of intervention duration, peer interaction and reflective activities. These findings underscore the importance of fostering reflective thinking and refining design principles for reflective scaffolding.
Lin Guo (Tue,) studied this question.