Recent Research Trends and Findings on “Interactive Learning” in the Field of Science Education in Japan

—via Narrative Review and Meta-Analysis—

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to derive research trends and analyze research results on “interactive learning” in science pedagogy in Japan in recent years, based on the framework of competencies described in the Courses of Study for Science. The results of the narrative review and meta-analysis revealed the following three points in the research trends. First, there has been a lot of research on the construct of “augmentation” in recent years. Secondly, many practical studies on “interactive learning” for the purpose of fostering students’ ability to think critically, make judgements, and express themselves have been accumulated. Third, many studies have examined instructional factors among teachers that could be enablers of “interactive learning”. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the “interactive learning” pedagogical practices did indeed have positive educational effects among students, with a large effect size in the pre- and post- conditions, and a small to moderate effect size in the treatment and control conditions.