Self-paced mastery programs (PSI) reduce college course completion, though not by enough to explain their examination advantage¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r? · q4 · n=32 studies
Currency · newest study 1990 · checked against its sources 2026-10-14 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

A cost of self-paced mastery learning (Keller's Personalized System of Instruction) in college courses.

Subclaims¶

q4 i? In 32 PSI studies, 23 found higher completion in the conventional class; the average effect on attrition was h = -0.14, a small effect favouring conventional instruction. Examination effects were similar whether completion was lower in the PSI class (0.46 SD, 23 studies) or the conventional one (0.55 SD, 6 studies). → Kulik et al. 1990

Evidence¶

Kulik et al. 1990¶

Kulik, C.-L. C., Kulik, J. A., & Bangert-Drowns, R. L. (1990). Effectiveness of Mastery Learning Programs: A Meta-Analysis. Review of Educational Research, 60(2), 265–299. doi:10.3102/00346543060002265

q4 · meta-analysis (32 PSI studies reporting completion) · i? · small effect, h = -0.14 on attrition (not a d metric) · n=32 studies · quant-synthesis · r?

Thirty-two evaluations compared course completion in mastery and conventional classes; all were of PSI, the self-paced variant. Nine found higher completion in the mastery class and 23 in the conventional class; the average effect (Cohen's h for attrition) was -0.14, small and favouring conventional instruction. The examination advantage was not an artefact of weaker students dropping out: it was 0.46 SD where PSI completion was lower and 0.55 SD where it was higher.

"Nine of the 32 studies found a higher completion rate in the mastery class, and 23 studies found a higher completion rate in the control class. The average h for attrition for these 32 studies was -0.14, t(31) = 2.86, p < .01."

Discussion¶

The cost belongs to self-pacing, not to mastery gating as such: group-based mastery evaluations report lower attrition (In one synthesis of group-based mastery learning, … lower attrition). A self-paced or adaptive course built on mastery gating should plan for procrastination and non-completion, with deadlines or pacing support.

Related Claims¶

• Letting learners pace instruction helped on complex material in one experiment, while learner control in general showed almost no effect across 18 studies — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it

• Mastery learning effects are larger with a higher mastery standard, group-based pacing, local tests, and less feedback for the comparison group — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it

• Mastery Learning Improves Outcomes — the same synthesis, overall effect

• In one synthesis of group-based mastery learning, five observational studies found more time-on-task in mastery classes and one community-college evaluation found lower attrition in seven of eight disciplines — reports the opposite
• Mastery learning sections show higher earned credit rates than comparable non-mastery sections at the City Colleges of Chicago — reports the opposite