The Effectiveness of Student-Centered Teaching- Learning Processes in the Social Studies: A Meta-Analysis Study

Research findings about teaching-learning process play important role in developing Social Studies teaching. Therefore, studies should be conducted to investigate effectiveness of different teaching methods and techniques in educational institutions. Findings of these studies are significant to figure out teaching methods and techniques which may have a positive effect on academic achievement. Purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of student-centered teaching learning process on academic achievement in the Social Studies course via meta-analysis method. Data of the study were obtained from 52 Master and PhD theses which were submitted to the YÖK National Digital Thesis/Dissertation Archives after 2005 in Turkey. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) software was used to conduct the meta-analysis. The present study used “study effect” meta-analysis for the analysis of the data. Findings of the study revealed that student-centered teaching approaches, methods, techniques, and materials had a positive effect on academic achievement in the Social Studies course.