Abstract
The current review addresses the validity of published meta-analyses in education that determines the credibility and generalizability of study findings using a total of 56 meta-analyses published in education in the 2000s. Our objectives were to evaluate the current meta-analytic practices in education, identify methodological strengths and weaknesses, and provide recommendations for improvements in order to generate a more valid and credible knowledge base of what works in practice. It was found that 56 meta-analyses followed general recommendations fairly well in problem formulation and data collection, but much improvement is needed in data evaluation and analysis. Particularly, lack of information reported as well as little transparency in the use of statistical methods are concerns for generating credible and generalizable meta-analytic findings that can be transformed to educational practices. Recommendations for yielding more reliable and valid inferences from meta-analyses are provided.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 436-476 |
| Number of pages | 41 |
| Journal | Review of Educational Research |
| Volume | 82 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 1 2012 |
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Keywords
- credibility
- generalizability
- meta-analysis
- validity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Education
Cite this
A Review of Meta-Analyses in Education : Methodological Strengths and Weaknesses. / Ahn, Soyeon; Ames, Allison J.; Myers, Nicholas.
In: Review of Educational Research, Vol. 82, No. 4, 01.12.2012, p. 436-476.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - A Review of Meta-Analyses in Education
T2 - Methodological Strengths and Weaknesses
AU - Ahn, Soyeon
AU - Ames, Allison J.
AU - Myers, Nicholas
PY - 2012/12/1
Y1 - 2012/12/1
N2 - The current review addresses the validity of published meta-analyses in education that determines the credibility and generalizability of study findings using a total of 56 meta-analyses published in education in the 2000s. Our objectives were to evaluate the current meta-analytic practices in education, identify methodological strengths and weaknesses, and provide recommendations for improvements in order to generate a more valid and credible knowledge base of what works in practice. It was found that 56 meta-analyses followed general recommendations fairly well in problem formulation and data collection, but much improvement is needed in data evaluation and analysis. Particularly, lack of information reported as well as little transparency in the use of statistical methods are concerns for generating credible and generalizable meta-analytic findings that can be transformed to educational practices. Recommendations for yielding more reliable and valid inferences from meta-analyses are provided.
AB - The current review addresses the validity of published meta-analyses in education that determines the credibility and generalizability of study findings using a total of 56 meta-analyses published in education in the 2000s. Our objectives were to evaluate the current meta-analytic practices in education, identify methodological strengths and weaknesses, and provide recommendations for improvements in order to generate a more valid and credible knowledge base of what works in practice. It was found that 56 meta-analyses followed general recommendations fairly well in problem formulation and data collection, but much improvement is needed in data evaluation and analysis. Particularly, lack of information reported as well as little transparency in the use of statistical methods are concerns for generating credible and generalizable meta-analytic findings that can be transformed to educational practices. Recommendations for yielding more reliable and valid inferences from meta-analyses are provided.
KW - credibility
KW - generalizability
KW - meta-analysis
KW - validity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84869815605&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84869815605&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3102/0034654312458162
DO - 10.3102/0034654312458162
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84869815605
VL - 82
SP - 436
EP - 476
JO - Review of Educational Research
JF - Review of Educational Research
SN - 0034-6543
IS - 4
ER -