logo logo European Journal of Educational Research

EU-JER is is a, peer reviewed, online academic research journal.

Subscribe to

Receive Email Alerts

for special events, calls for papers, and professional development opportunities.

Subscribe

Publisher (HQ)

Eurasian Society of Educational Research
Eurasian Society of Educational Research
Christiaan Huygensstraat 44, Zipcode:7533XB, Enschede, THE NETHERLANDS
Eurasian Society of Educational Research
Headquarters
Christiaan Huygensstraat 44, Zipcode:7533XB, Enschede, THE NETHERLANDS
Research Article

Meta-Analysis of Integrated Learning on 21st Century Skills: Is Integrated Learning Still Relevant?

Kukuh Andri Aka , Punaji Setyosari , Endang Purwaningsih , Mardhatillah

Integrated learning has emerged as an approach to developing critical thinking and creativity skills. This meta-analysis synthesizes the effects of in.


  • Pub. date: April 15, 2025
  • Online Pub. date: April 07, 2025
  • Pages: 625-643
  • 211 Downloads
  • 683 Views
  • 0 Citations

Abstract:

I

Integrated learning has emerged as an approach to developing critical thinking and creativity skills. This meta-analysis synthesizes the effects of integrated learning on critical thinking and creativity, drawing from experimental studies published over the past decade. This study addresses the research question: What are the impacts and factors influencing integrated learning on students' critical thinking skills and creativity compared to conventional learning over the past decade? In the database, 403 articles were obtained, which were then supplemented by seven articles from manual searches, so that there were a total of 410 articles. After a strict inclusion process, 8 articles were selected for analysis. The inter-rater reliability test using Cohen's Kappa coefficient produced a value of 0.78, which indicates a substantial level of agreement. The analysis includes data from 497 participants for critical thinking and 266 for creativity. Heterogeneity in critical thinking skill data was 96%, and in creative skills, it was 86%; then, a subgroup analysis of education level was carried out to find out where the high heterogeneity was. The results show a significant positive effect of integrated learning, with an SMD of 1.48 (p = .004) for critical thinking and 1.60 (p = .0001) for creativity. Funnel plots and Egger's regression tests indicate no risk of publication bias. In addition, this study also synthesized the causal factors of how integrated learning affects critical thinking skills and creativity. Further research is recommended to explore its long-term impact and implementation strategies in various educational settings.  

Keywords: 21st century, creativity, critical thinking, integrated learning.

cloud_download PDF
Cite
Article Metrics
Views
211
Download
683
Citations
Crossref
0

Scopus
0

References

Aizikovitsh-Udi, E., & Cheng, D. (2015). Developing critical thinking skills from dispositions to abilities: Mathematics education from early childhood to high school. Creative Education, 6(4), 455-462. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2015.64045

Al-Saaideh, M. A., & Al-Zyoud, M. S. N. (2015). Benefits of teaching interdisciplinary subjects collaboratively in Jordanian pre-vocational education. Educational Research and Reviews, 10(20), 2702-2712. https://doi.org/10.5897/ERR2015.2461

Anagün, Ş. S. (2018). Teachers’ perceptions about the relationship between 21st-century skills and managing constructivist learning environments. International Journal of Instruction, 11(4), 825-840. https://doi.org/10.12973/iji.2018.11452a

Ananiadou, K., & Claro, M. (2009, December 18). 21st century skills and competences for new millennium learners in OECD countries. OECD. https://doi.org/10.1787/218525261154

Apaivatin, R., Srikoon, S., & Khemkhan, A. (2021). Effects of research-based learning integrated with cognitive training for enhancing critical thinking skill. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1835, Article 012017. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1835/1/012017

Asrizal, Usmeldi, & Azriyanti, R. (2023). Meta-analysis of the influence of the STEM-integrated learning model on science learning on 21st century skills. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 9(8), 339-347. https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v9i8.3094

Battelle for Kids. (2019). Framework for 21st century learning definitions. https://bit.ly/42o9pYW

Bayley, S. H. (2022). Learning for adaptation and 21st-century skills: Evidence of pupils’ flexibility in Rwandan primary schools. International Journal of Educational Development, 93, Article 102642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2022.102642

Beane, J. A. (1997). Curriculum integration: Designing the core of democratic education. Teachers College Press. https://bit.ly/4jGJan5

Can, H. C., Zorba, E., & Türksoy Işım, A. (2024). The effect of blended learning on 21st-century skills and academic success in education of physical education teachers: A mixed method research. Teaching and Teacher Education, 145, Article 104614. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2024.104614

Cloete, M. (2018). The impact of an integrated assessment on the critical thinking skills of first-year university students. Accounting Education, 27(5), 479-494. https://doi.org/10.1080/09639284.2018.1501717

Dare, E. A., Keratithamkul, K., Hiwatig, B. M., & Li, F. (2021). Beyond content: The role of STEM disciplines, real-world problems, 21st-century skills, and STEM careers within science teachers’ conceptions of integrated STEM education. Education Sciences, 11(11), Article 737. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11110737

Dekkers, R., Carey, L., & Langhorne, P. (2022). Making literature reviews work: A multidisciplinary guide to systematic approaches. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90025-0

Dishon, G., & Gilead, T. (2021). Adaptability and its discontents: 21st-century skills and the preparation for an unpredictable future. British Journal of Educational Studies, 69(4), 393-413. https://doi.org/10.1080/00071005.2020.1829545

Drake, S. M., & Burns, R. C. (2004). Meeting standards through integrated curriculum. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. https://bit.ly/40tJFrv

Drake, S. M., & Reid, J. L. (2018). Integrated curriculum as an effective way to teach 21st-century capabilities. Asia Pacific Journal of Educational Research, 1(1), 31-50. https://doi.org/10.30777/apjer.2018.1.1.03

Drake, S. M., & Reid, J. L. (2020). 21st-century competencies in light of the history of integrated curriculum. Frontiers in Education, 5, Article 122. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.00122

Ernawati, Halim, A., & Syukri, M. (2020). Integration of problem based learning (PBL) and Engineering is elementary (EiE) to improve students’ creativity. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1460, Article 012117. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1460/1/012117

Florida, R., Mellander, C., & Stolarick, K. (2008). Inside the black box of regional development--human capital, the creative class and tolerance. Journal of Economic Geography, 8(5), 615-649. https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbn023

Fogarty, R., & Pete, B. M. (2009). How to integrate the curricula (3rd ed.). Corwin.

Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2016). Becoming brilliant: What science tells us about raising successful children. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/14917-000

Gresnigt, R., Taconis, R., van Keulen, H., Gravemeijer, K., & Baartman, L. (2014). Promoting science and technology in primary education: A review of integrated curricula. Studies in Science Education, 50(1), 47-84. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057267.2013.877694

Griffin, P., McGaw, B., & Care, E. (Eds.). (2012). Assessment and teaching of 21st century skills. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2324-5

Haddaway, N. R., Page, M. J., Pritchard, C. C., & McGuinness, L. A. (2022). PRISMA2020 : An R package and Shiny app for producing PRISMA 2020‐compliant flow diagrams, with interactivity for optimised digital transparency and Open Synthesis. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 18(2), Article e1230. https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1230

Hebebci, M. T., & Usta, E. (2022). The effects of integrated STEM education practices on problem solving skills, scientific creativity, and critical thinking dispositions. Participatory Educational Research, 9(6), 358-379. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.22.143.9.6

Hinton, V., Flores, M., & Woods-Groves, S. (2024). The concrete-representational-abstract integrated sequence as supplemental instruction to teach addition. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10824669.2024.2321458

Hujjatusnaini, N., Corebima, A. D., Prawiro, S. R., & Gofur, A. (2022). The effect of blended project-based learning integrated with 21st-century skills on pre-service biology teachers’ higher-order thinking skills. Jurnal Pendidikan IPA Indonesia, 11(1), 104-118. https://doi.org/10.15294/jpii.v11i1.27148

Ichsan, I., Suharyat, Y., Santosa, T. A., & Satria, E. (2023). Effectiveness of stem-based learning in teaching 21st-century skills in generation Z student in science learning: A Meta-Analysis. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 9(1), 150-166. https://jppipa.unram.ac.id/index.php/jppipa/article/view/2517 https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v9i1.2517

Jacobs, H. H. (Ed.). (1989). Interdisciplinary curriculum: Design and implementation. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=1890978

Jang, W. H. (2017). 초등학교 1학년 주제중심 통합교육과정에 대한 교사 인식 운영 실태 : 포커스 그룹 인터뷰를 중심으로 [Elementary school first grade teachers' perception and actual conditions on theme-based integrated curriculum in elementary school: A focus group interview study] [Master's thesis, Chung-Ang University]. dCollection. https://doi.org/10.23169/cau.000000196661.11052.0000449

Kasmini, L., Mardhatillah, & Prayudi, S. (2024). The impact of a gender mainstreaming-based blended learning flipped classroom model on the solidarity values and problem-solving abilities of students. International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies, 7(1), 226-239. https://doi.org/10.53894/ijirss.v7i1.2604

Kreijkes, P., & Greatorex, J. (2024). Differential effects of subject-based and integrated curriculum approaches on students’ learning outcomes: A review of reviews. Review of Education, 12(1), Article e3465. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3465

Kysilka, M. L. (1998). Understanding integrated curriculum. The Curriculum Journal, 9(2), 197-209. https://doi.org/10.1080/0958517970090206

Landis, J. R., & Koch, G. G. (1977). The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics, 33(1), 159-174. https://doi.org/10.2307/2529310

Lapėnienė, D., Dumčienė, A., & Lapėnas, T. (2012). The analysis of factors related to creativity in the sample of physical education teachers. Baltic Journal of Sport and Health Sciences, 2(85), 31-39. https://doi.org/10.33607/bjshs.v2i85.281

Liu, L., Lin, S., Liu, J., & Zhang, J. (2019). Influence Factors of college students’ creativity: The effect of self-esteem and motivation. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, 8(2), 45-54. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20190802.13

Marshall, T. E., Drum, D., Morris, S., & Lambert, S. L. (2021). Leveraging research within a pedagogical protocol for enhanced integrated-competency student learning. Journal of Accounting Education, 56, Article 100741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccedu.2021.100741

Mater, N. R., Haj Hussein, M. J., Salha, S. H., Draidi, F. R., Shaqour, A. Z., Qatanani, N., & Affouneh, S. (2022). The effect of the integration of STEM on critical thinking and technology acceptance model. Educational Studies, 48(5), 642-658. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2020.1793736

McLean, M., Georgiou, H., Matruglio, E., Turney, A., Gardiner, P., Jones, P., & Edwards-Groves, C. (2023). Understanding creativity in primary English, science, and history. Australian Educational Researcher, 50, 581-600. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-021-00501-4

Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., & Altman, D. G. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. BMJ, 339, Article b2535. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.b2535

Morelock, M. J., & Feldman, D. H. (1999). Prodigies. In M. A. Runco & S. R. Pritzker (Eds.), Encyclopedia of creativity (2nd ed.). Academic Press.

Niu, Y. (2023). Integrated physical education and medicine in general physical education at universities in the age of educational technologies. BMC Medical Education, 23, Article 466. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04440-9

Normore, G. P. M., Leibovitch, Y. M., Brown, D. J., Pearson, S., Mazzola, C., Ellerton, P. J., & Watt, G. (2024). Investigating the impact of critical thinking instruction on writing performance: A multilevel modelling analysis of relative gain data in the Australian national assessment program. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 53, Article 101546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2024.101546

Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, Article n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71

Palloan, P., Usman, Azis, A., & Hakim, A. (2021). E-learning integrated active learning strategies to improve the critical thinking skills. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1899, Article 012162. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1899/1/012162

Qian, M., & Clark, K. R. (2016). Game-based learning and 21st century skills: A review of recent research. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 50-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.05.023

Rahayu, M. S. I., & Kuswanto, H. (2021). The effectiveness of the use of the android-based carom games comic integrated to discovery learning in improving critical thinking and mathematical representation abilities. Journal of Technology and Science Education, 11(2), 270-283. https://doi.org/10.3926/jotse.1151

Rais, M., Yahya, M., Jamaluddin, J., & Purnamawati, P. (2021). Comparing project-based learning and problem-based learning to foster 21st-century learning skills in agricultural seaweed product. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences, 6(3), 1217-1230. https://doi.org/10.18844/cjes.v16i3.5842

Ratama, I. P., Padmadewi, N. N., & Artini, L. P. (2021). Teaching the 21st-century skills (4CS) in English literacy activities. Journal of Education Research and Evaluation, 5(2), 223-233. https://doi.org/10.23887/jere.v5i2.30849

Rios, J. A., Ling, G., Pugh, R., Becker, D., & Bacall, A. (2020). Identifying critical 21st-century skills for workplace success: A content analysis of job advertisements. Educational Researcher, 49(2), 80-89. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X19890600

Saputra, M. R. D., & Kuswanto, H. (2019). The effectiveness of physics mobile learning (PML) with HomboBatu theme to improve the ability of diagram representation and critical thinking of senior high school students. International Journal of Instruction, 12(2), 471-490. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2019.12230a

Sarıoğlan, A. B., & Özkaya, Ö. Ş. (2023). Web integrated STEM learning: Effects on students’ academic achievement, creativity and metacognitive awareness. Journal of Science Learning, 6(3), 315-326. https://bit.ly/42gAxYh

Sawyer, R. K., John-Steiner, V., Moran, S., Sternberg, R. J., Feldman, D. H., Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2003). Creativity and Development. Oxford University Press.  

Schumacher, D. H. (1995). Five levels of curriculum integration defined, refined, and described. Research in Middle Level Education, 18(3), 73-94. https://doi.org/10.1080/10825541.1995.11670055

Shea, B. J., Reeves, B. C., Wells, G., Thuku, M., Hamel, C., Moran, J., Moher, D., Tugwell, P., Welch, V., Kristjansson, E., & Henry, D. A. (2017). AMSTAR 2: A critical appraisal tool for systematic reviews that include randomised or non-randomised studies of healthcare interventions, or both. BMJ, 358, Article j4008. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j4008

Siew, N. M., & Ambo, N. (2018). Development and Evaluation of an integrated project-based and STEM teaching and learning module on enhancing scientific creativity among fifth graders. Journal of Baltic Science Education, 17(6), 1017-1033. https://doi.org/10.33225/jbse/18.17.1017

Silber‐Varod, V., Eshet‐Alkalai, Y., & Geri, N. (2019). Tracing research trends of 21st-century learning skills. British Journal of Educational Technology, 50(6), 3099-3118. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12753

Sughra, U., & Usmani, A. (2022). Comparison of critical thinking among undergraduate medical students of conventional and integrated curricula in twin cities. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 38(6), 1453-1459. https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.6.5409

van der Merwe, A., & van Vuuren, C. J. (2024). Creating transformational learning experiences for 21st-century healthcare students through preclinical skills training at a South African university. BMC Medical Education, 24, Article 198. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05177-9

van Laar, E., van Deursen, A. J. A. M., van Dijk, J. A. G. M., & de Haan, J. (2019). Determinants of 21st-century digital skills: A large-scale survey among working professionals. Computers in Human Behavior, 100, 93-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.06.017

van Laar, E., van Deursen, A. J. A. M., van Dijk, J. A. G. M., & de Haan, J. (2020). Determinants of 21st-century skills and 21st-century digital skills for workers: A systematic literature review. SAGE Open, 10(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019900176

Vantassel-baska, J., & Wood, S. (2010). The integrated curriculum model (ICM). Learning and Individual Differences 20(4) 345-357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2009.12.006

Voogt, J., & Roblin, N. P. (2012). A comparative analysis of international frameworks for 21st-century competences: Implications for national curriculum policies. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 44(3), 299-321. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2012.668938

World Economic Forum. (2015). New vision for education: Unlocking the potential of technology. https://bit.ly/4avVimk

Zhang, Y., Tan, B., Yue, Y., & Cui, M. (2024). Integrating a hybrid mode into kindergarten STEM education: Its impact on young children’s critical thinking skills during the COVID-19 pandemic. Early Child Development and Care, 194(13-14), 1384-1403. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2024.2349624

Zosh, J. M., Hassinger-Das, B., & Laurie, M. (2020). Learning through play and the development of holistic skills across childhood. The LEGO Foundation. https://bit.ly/4lcgaUR

Zulkifli, Z., Satria, E., Supriyadi, A., & Santosa, T. A. (2022). Meta-analysis: The effectiveness of the integrated STEM technology pedagogical content knowledge learning model on the 21st-century skills of high school students in the science department. Psychology, Evaluation, and Technology in Educational Research, 5(1), 32-42. https://oa.mg/work/10.55606/ijel.v1i2.32

...