A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Rational Number Interventions for Students Experiencing Difficulty with Mathematics - report

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian

A systematic review and meta-analysis examines evidence on rational number interventions for students experiencing difficulty with mathematics. The study evaluates which instructional components—such as visual representations, number line use, and mathematical language instruction—relate to positive student outcomes, alongside study features including group size and interventionist training. Methods include a defined search strategy, inclusion and exclusion criteria, screening and coding procedures, and risk-of-bias assessment, followed by meta-analytic procedures and publication-bias checks.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages49

Reading Time2 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Introduction

Previous Related Reviews

Research Questions

Method

Search Strategy

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

Screening and Coding Procedures

Risk of Bias

Data Analysis

Effect Size Metric

Meta-Analytic Procedures

Publication Bias

Outliers

Missing Data

Results

Search and Screening Results

Study Features

Overall Intervention Effect

Efficacy of Instructional Components

Exploratory Moderator Analyses of Study Features

Publication Bias

Risk of Bias

Summary

References

Tables

Figures

1 RG RESEARCH GROUP D/B/A A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Rational Number Interventions for Students Experiencing Difficulty with Mathematics 2020 Robin Schumacher Sarah Krowka Kelly Haymond Rebecca Newman-Gonchar Russell Gersten Instructional Research Group 2 This project was funded by the National Science Foundation (Grant No. DRL 1660853) . Copyright © 2020 Instructional Research Group. Not for reproduction, distribution, or use without permission from Instructional Research Group. Preferred citation is: Schumacher, R., Krowka, S., Haymond, K., Newman-Gonchar, R., Gersten, R. (2020) . A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Rational Number Interventions for Students Experiencing Difficulty with Mathematics. Los Alamitos, CA: Instructional Research Group. The data set compiled for this project (Schumacher et al., 2021) is available on the Harvard Dataverse Network. To download a copy of this document, [visit www.inresg.org](visit www.inresg.org) 3 Author Note The authors would like to thank Samantha Spallone, Madhavi Jayanthi, Christopher Tran, Pam Foremski, and Jonathan Cohen for their assistance in editing and preparing the manuscript. 4 Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................6 2. Introduction ................................................................................................................................7 2.1 Previous Related Reviews.................................................................................................8 2.2 Research Questions ...........................................................................................................8 3. Method .......................................................................................................................................9 3.1 Search Strategy .................................................................................................................9 3.2 Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria .....................................................................................10 Population ....................................................................................................................... 10 Intervention ..................................................................................................................... 11 Comparisons ................................................................................................................... 11 Outcome Measures.......................................................................................................... 12 Study Designs ................................................................................................................. 12 3.3 Screening and Coding Procedures ..................................................................................12 3.4 Risk of Bias ..................................................................................................................... 14 3.5 Data Analysis .................................................................................................................. 14 Effect Size Metric ........................................................................................................... 14 Meta-Analytic Procedures .............................................................................................. 14 Publication Bias .............................................................................................................. 17 Outliers............................................................................................................................ 17 Missing Data ................................................................................................................... 17 4. Results ............................................................

FAQs

What is the main purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis?

The review synthesizes evidence on which aspects of rational number interventions are associated with positive outcomes for students who experience difficulties with mathematics.

Which instructional components and study features are analyzed?

The analysis considers instructional components such as visual representations, number line use, and instruction in mathematical language, as well as study features including group size and interventionist training.

How are studies selected and quality assessed in the review?

The review uses a search strategy with defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, followed by screening and coding procedures and a risk-of-bias assessment before data analysis.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian