Grade level moderates multigrade cognitive effects, with a diminishing positive effect from lower to higher grades¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r2 · q3 · i0 negligible
Currency · newest study 1996 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i0 Grade level significantly predicted variance in multigrade cognitive effects: a small positive effect in grades K-2 (d = .06), essentially zero in grades 3-4, and a small negative effect in grades 5-6 (d = -.08). → Simon Veenman 1996

Evidence¶

Simon Veenman 1996¶

Simon Veenman. (1996). Effects of multigrade and multi-age classes reconsidered. Review of Educational Research, 66(3), 323-340. https://doi.org/10.2307/1170526

q3 · i0 · quant-synthesis · r2

Between-study homogeneity analysis of the multigrade cognitive subset (Table 3): lower grades K-2 d = .06 (k = 9), intermediate grades 3-4 d = .01 (k = 20), higher grades 5-6 d = -.08 (k = 5); Q(2) = 18.9, p < .01.

"A significant amount of variance in effects was found for grade level, Q(2, N = 34) = l8.9,p < .01. The average weighted d-indexes across these studies showed a diminishing positive effect of multigrade grouping."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Age and Developmental Stage — moderator: an instructional effect differs with it

Related Claims¶

• Country of publication moderates multigrade cognitive effects, with a small negative effect only for European studies — related
• Study quality, publication source, locality, socioeconomic status, years in multigrade classes, and publication year did not significantly predict multigrade cognitive effects — related
• Meta-analysis shows no significant difference in cognitive outcomes between multigrade and single-grade classes — a broader claim this one bears on
• Multi-age classes show no significant cognitive or noncognitive differences from single-age classes — related
• Multigrade classes show negative weighted effects for science and social studies but not English as a foreign language — related
• Evidence for a selection bias favoring multigrade classes is limited, found explicitly in only 4 of 51 studies — related
• Noncognitive outcomes of multigrade classes show essentially zero overall effect after outlier removal — related