Science performance: a meta-

analysis results

Leo Sutrisno
Dept. Math and Science
Education
Faculty of Education
Tanjungpura University
Pontianak, Indonesia
 This section will present the results of meta-analysis of
several research findings on science education. These findings will
be compiled under two headings: factors which influence student
achievement and factors which are correlated with student
achievement. Some authors refer to student cognitive
performance and some to student achievement. The two terms
will be used interchangeably.

1 Several factors which influence on student

achievement

Weinstein, Boulanger, and Walberg (1982) synthesized 33

studies on the effects of new curricula on student achievement
over 1963-1978. The average of effect sizes of the overall
effects was 0.47 with a standard deviation of 0.68, based on 18
effect sizes.
Boulanger (1981a) synthesized studies published
between 19631981 on the quality and the quantity of
instruction. He collected 137 studies which covered grade six to
grade twelve. There are six cluster analyses in his research
synthesis: pre-instructional strategies, directness of instruction,
inductive vs deductive strategies, training in scientific teaching,
structure in verbal content of material, and realism or
concreteness in adjunct material. He found that the combined
effect size of these instructional strategies on student
achievement was 0.55 with 0.21 standard deviation.
Wise and Okey (1983) synthesized 160 studies on the
effects of different teaching techniques on student achievement.
No studies published earlier than 1949 were included. Subjects
were from grade six to college students. Twelve types of
teaching techniques: audio-visual, grading, focusing, inquiry-
discovery, manipulative, modified, presentation mode, teacher
direction, testing, and wait time produce 309 effect sizes. The
average effect was 0.35 with 0.64 standard deviation.
Willet, Yamashita and Anderson (1983) carried out a
meta-analysis on the effects of different instructional systems on
student achievement. They combined 130 studies which
included 12 types of instruction: audio-tutorial, computer-linked,
contrast learning, departmentalized (use of specialist teachers
rather than general teachers) elementary school, individualized
instruction, self- directed study, personalized system instruction,
mastery learning, media-based instruction, programmed learning,
use of original source papers and team teaching. All studies have
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been published since 1950 and are focused on grade twelve only.
They produced 0.10 average effect size with a standard deviation
of 0.41.
Yeany and Miller (1983) integrated 28 studies on the
effects of diagnostic prescriptive instruction on learning science
over 19731981. The average effect of "diagnostic test followed by
the provision of feedback" was 0.49 (Sd = 0.12), and "diagnostic
test followed by remedial activities" was 0.55 (Sd = 0.07).
Lott (1983) combined 39 studies which spanned the period
19511980 on the comparison of inductive vs deductive teaching
approach and the use of advanced organizers. He found that the
average affect on student outcomes was 0.06 (Sd = 0.87) in
favour of the inductive approach.
Enz, Horak, and Blecha (1982) reviewed 180 studies over
19731980 on science in-service programs. The average effect size
on student achievement was 1.39 and on student attitudes was
0.84. Wade (1984/1985) synthesized 91 studies published 1968-
1980 on in-service programs and found that the effect on student
achievement was 0.31 and on the teacher characteristics was
0.90.

2 Factors which are correlated with student

achievement

Boulanger (1981b) synthesized 34 studies published in

the period 1963-1978 relating ability measures to science
learning measures. There were three categories used in his
study (general ability, prior achievement, and quantitative-
spatial ability) and three outcomes measures (factual learning,
product learning, and process learning). The correlation
coefficients of general ability, prior learning, and quantitative
spatial ability with student performance were .49, .46, .51
respectively. The combined mean correlation based on 62
coefficients of correlation was .48.
Fleming and Malone (1983) reviewed 278 studies
published 19601981 on the relationship between student
characteristics and student outcomes. They investigated such
student characteristics as socioeconomic status, general ability,
language ability, and mathematics ability. They found that the
correlation coefficients between these categories and students'
performance were .26, .47, .53 and .59 respectively. The
combined mean correlation based on 153 correlations was .48.
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 Kahl, Fleming and Malone (1982) integrated 80 studies on
the correlation between student characteristics and student
outcome published 1961-1981. The correlation of student
characteristics with student achievement was .26 (based on 126
rs), and with student attitudes was .13 (based on 32 rs).
Steinkamp and Maehr (1983) integrated 66 studies
published 1966-1981 on the relationships between student
cognitive ability and student outcome. They found that the
average correlation
coefficients between ability and student achievement
was .34 (based on 60 rs), and student attitude was .04 (based
on 4rs). The average 14 correlation between student
achievement and student attitude was .19 (based on 22 rs).
Willson (1983) combined 43 studies on the relationship
between science achievement and science attitudes from
kindergarten to college students. He found 280 correlations
ranging from -.3 to .84. The average was .16.
Tamir (1985) synthesized 54 studies published 1964-1982
on the relationships between cognitive preferences and student
achievement. He classified cognitive preferences into recall,
principle, questioning, and application. He found that the average
correlations were -.14, .16, .12 and -.03 respectively.
Summing up, it can be seen that remediation programs
have the highest effect, followed by implementation of new
curricula, in-service training and teaching innovations. Student
achievement is highly correlated with cognitive ability, followed
by socio-economic status, student characteristics, and student
attitudes. Teacher characteristics and student cognitive
preferences show smaller correlations with student achievement.
This synthesis of many metaanalysis results supports the need to
improve the quality of education through diagnostic-remediation
activities.

3 Student ideas about several concepts in physics

Among Indonesian students physics is regarded as a

difficult subject. Jones and Mooney (1981, p.356) stated that
"physics has traditionally been recognized by students as being
one of the more difficult areas of science". They claimed that
students' knowledge is usually fragmented and
compartmentalized.

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 Idar and Ganiel (1985) reported that "many high school
students experience serious difficulties in physics" (p.12).
Trowbrige and McDermott (1980, 1981) concluded that there were
several persistent conceptual difficulties in physics among
students who were enrolled in a variety of introductory physics at
the University of Washington. Pallard and Lindenfield (1985) said
that "physics is regarded as a difficult subject by students ....”.
The study of science in secondary schools can be compared to a
pyramid with physics at the apex" (p.46).
The following studies indicate some causes of the student
difficulties in learning physics. Gunstone and White (1981) found
that students often used mathematical equations inappropriately,
and Mallow and Greenburg (1983) notes that "students believe
that if you only know the formula you can solve the problem"
(p.96). McClelland (1985) has concluded that students have little
practice with a wide range of exemplary situations. This could
lead, as Rief (1981) indicated, to incomplete specification of the
connection between symbols and referents, and to a failure to
discriminate similar reference or similar symbols. Lin (1982)
observed that students do not try to work out problems from first
principles. Robert (1983) believes that physics can be understood
only through understanding the relationship between theory and
experiment. Arons (1983) has indicated that students have
difficulty in separating technical terms from their definitions, in
translating symbols into words and in describing phenomena in
words.
Another reason for the failure to learn physics "is not only
in the lack of acquisition of the new concept, but the reluctance of
the students to give up their less adequate strategy for thinking
about
16 of the more difficult areas of science". They claimed
that students' knowledge is usually fragmented and
compartmentalized.
Idar and Ganiel (1985) reported that "many high school
students experience serious difficulties in physics" (p.12).
Trowbrige and McDermott (1980, 1981) concluded that there were
several persistent conceptual difficulties in physics among
students who were enrolled in a variety of introductory physics at
the University of Washington. Pallard and Lindenfield (1985) said
that "physics is regarded as a difficult subject by students ....
The study of science in secondary schools can be
compared to a pyramid with physics at the apex" (p.46).

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 Twenty studies on student physics achievement published
after 1966 are synthesized below using a meta-analysis
technique. Factors which can be described as student
characteristics are, in general terms, the independent factors and
student physics achievement is the dependent factor.
The independent factors belong to several clusters such as
student reasoning, student mathematics skills, credit
mathematics, student prior physics knowledge, credit physics,
student motivation, student attitude, student interest, student'
home environment, student cognitive level and gender.
Students' reasoning is the score resulting from either logic
tests (Griffith, 1985; Selman, Krupa, Stone, and Jaquette, 1982;
Liberman and Hudson, 1979; Sjoberg, 1983), aptitude tests
(Ainley, 1980), reasoning tests (Champagne and Klopfer, 1982;
Hudson and Liberman, 1982; Champagne, Klopfer and Anderson,
1980; Enyeart, Baker and Vanharlingen, 1980), or cognitive tests
(Dale and Jennings, 1986). There are 34 correlations produced,
and the average is .42. The average Zr (Fisher's transformation r
to z) is .36 (Sd = 0.4) and the unbiased estimator of Zr is 0.35.
Students' mathematics skills tested by trigonometry tests,
algebra tests (Hudson and McIntire, 1977), mathematics
diagnostic tests (Halloun and Hestenes, 1985), TAE/admission
tests (Dale and Jennings, 1986), SAT Math (Hudson and Liberman,
1982), or mathematical skills tests were correlated with student
physics achievement. The average correlation is .36 (Sd = 0.22).
The average Zr is 0.42 with 0.26 standard deviation and the
unbiased estimator of Zr is 0.41. Credit mathematics includes the
number of semesters in mathematic courses. There are 15
correlations with physics achievement. The average correlation is
.17 (SD = 0.13). The average Zr is 0.17 with 0.16 standard
deviation. The unbiased estimator of Zr = 0.14.
Students' prior physics knowledge is measured by the
results of either physics A-level examination, physics pre-test, pre-
conception test, TAE physics or the concept pre-test. Seven
correlations result and produce .46 average with 0.20 standard
deviation. The average Zr is 0.37 (Sd = 0.22). The unbiased
estimator of Zr = 0.32.
There are nine correlations between credit physics courses
and physics achievement. The average of these correlations is .15
(Sd = 0.10) and that of Zr is 0.15 (Sd = 0.10). The unbiased
estimator of Zr is = 0.14.
Student motivation consists of intrinsic motivation, self-
enhancement and goal deficiency (Winsberg and Marie, 1976).
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The average correlation between student motivation and student
physics achievement is .05. Tamir (1987) found that the
correlation between student attitude towards the study of science
and physics achievement was .19, while Sjoberg (1983) found
that the correlation between student general interest and physics
achievement was .48. The average correlation of these factors is
.16 (Sd = 0.20) and the average Zr is 0.17 (Sd = 0.21). The
unbiased estimator of Zr is 0.16.
Two studies, Tamir (1987) and Ainley (1980), dealt with the
relationship between home environment and physics
achievement. These studies produce ten correlations with mean
and standard deviations of .04 and 0.11 respectively. The
correlation between students' cognitive levels and physics
achievement studied by Barnes (1977), and Jennings and
Zadnik (1984), produces .10 mean correlation with 0.14
standard deviation.
Three studies, Ainley (1980), Lewis (1983) and
Wheeler and Harris (1981), investigated the relationship
between gender and physics achievement. The average
correlation is .43 (Sd = 0.26).

Important terms

credit mathematics
credit physics
effect of new curricula
effect of the effects of different teaching techniques
effect of the quality and the quantity of instruction
effects of diagnostic prescriptive instruction
effects of different instructional systems
effects of in-service programs
gender
persistent conceptual difficulties in physics
physics is regarded as a difficult subject
reason for the failure to learn physics
Relationships between ability and science achievement
Relationships between cognitive preferences and student
achievement
Relationships between science achievement and science
attitudes
Relationships between student characteristics and
student outcomes
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 Relationships between student characteristics and
student outcome
Relationships between student cognitive ability and
student outcome
student attitude, student interest
student cognitive level
student' home environment
student mathematics skills
student motivation
student prior physics knowledge
student reasoning
the difficulties in learning physics

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