The effects of self-directed learning–oriented interventions on student learning outcomes: A second-order meta-analysis
International Journal of Educational Research, cilt.140, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 140
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.ijer.2026.103071
- Dergi Adı: International Journal of Educational Research
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Periodicals Index Online, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), Index Islamicus, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Education Source Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: adult education, adult learning, Educational interventions, Educational policy, Learner regulation, Second-order meta-analysis, Self-directed learning
- İstanbul Medipol Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Self-directed learning (SDL) is widely promoted to strengthen students’ capacity to manage their own learning. Yet, evidence on the effectiveness of SDL-oriented interventions remains fragmented across educational contexts. This second-order meta-analysis synthesises experimental and quasi-experimental meta-analytic evidence on SDL-oriented interventions and their effects on student learning outcomes. Using an overview-of-reviews approach, we identified 12 first-order meta-analyses, yielding 13 independent overall effect sizes and data from approximately 43,775 students across formal education. Random-effects modelling indicated a moderate, statistically significant overall effect of SDL-oriented interventions on learning outcomes (ES = .56, 95% CI [.46, .65]). Heterogeneity was substantial. Publication-bias analyses did not indicate meaningful distortion of the pooled estimate. Moderator analyses showed that effect sizes differed by educational level, with larger effects in K–12 and mixed-level samples than in higher education-only samples, and by methodological quality, with smaller effects in high-quality than in medium-quality reviews. By contrast, effects did not differ significantly by learning environment. Outcome-category analyses showed positive effects for self-regulated learning strategies (ES = .47), academic achievement (ES = .43), and skill-based outcomes (ES = .61), although differences across outcome categories were not statistically significant. Overall, the findings indicate that SDL-oriented interventions produce educationally meaningful benefits across formal education and support SDL as a valuable framework for structuring learner regulation.