What Influences Learning? A Content Analysis of Review Literature

TLDR

The study conducted a comprehensive meta‑review synthesizing research on variables influencing learning across cognitive and affective outcomes. The authors developed a conceptual framework of 228 items organized into 30 scales across six categories and selected 179 authoritative review sources through systematic search and selection procedures. Content analysis of 3,700 ratings confirmed that student, classroom, home, and community factors dominate over policy variables, while metacognition, classroom management, instructional quantity, interactions, climate, and peer group also play significant roles.

Abstract

This paper reported a comprehensive “meta-review” and synthesis of research on variables related to learning, including both cognitive and affective schooling outcomes. A conceptual framework was developed encompassing 228 items related to school learning, organized a priori into 30 scales within six categories. Search and selection procedures yielded 179 selected handbook and annual review chapters, commissioned papers, and other authoritative reviews. Content analysis yielded over 3,700 ratings of the strength of influence of the variables on learning. The variables confirmed the primacy of student, classroom, home, and community influences on learning relative to more distal policy variables such as state and district characteristics. Additionally, the variables also highlighted the importance of metacognition, classroom management, quantity of instruction, classroom interactions and climate, and the peer group.