Effects of Online Learning on Student Moral Development - A Meta-analysis Based on 42 Experimental and Quasi-experimental Studies

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Bulrr

Online learning has become widely adopted, yet its impact on students’ moral development remains debated in prior studies. This meta-analysis synthesized findings from 42 experimental and quasi-experimental studies, totaling 5,303 learners, after literature screening, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment. Results indicate positive effects on students’ moral understanding and reasoning, with no significant effects on moral emotions or behavior. Moderator analyses suggest effect-size differences across student type, course type, learning pattern, and interactive involvement, with student type significantly moderating moral reasoning.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Data and Methods

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

Literature Search Method

Literature Screening and Data Extraction

Risk of Bias Assessment

Research Results

Literature Screening Procedure and Results

Basic Features of the Studies Included

Effects of Online Learning on Student Moral Development: A Meta-analysis Based on 42 Experimental and Quasi-experimental Studies Hao Wang, Aimin Tang Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, Shandong, China | Abstract: The widespread practices of online learning have sparked increasing interest in its educational efficacy. The effects of online learning on learners’ moral development remain contentious in existing research. The purpose of this metaanalysis was to ascertain how online leaning impact students’ moral development. It included 42 experimental and quasi-experimental studies with an aggregate sample of 5303 learners after the processes of literature screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. Analytical results revealed that online learning had positive effects on student moral understanding and reasoning, but no significant impact on student moral emotions and behavior. Subgroup analyses by student type, course type, online learning pattern, and involvement of interactive activity showed that there were disparities in the effect size between all subgroups and that only the moderating effect of student type on student moral reasoning was statistically significant.
Best Evidence in Chinese Education 2023; 15(1):1789-1793.
Doi: [10.15354/bece.23.ar095](10.15354/bece.23.ar095) | | --- | | How to Cite: Wang, H., & Tang, A. (2023). Effects of online learning on student moral development: A meta-analysis based on 42 experimental and quasiexperimental studies. Best Evidence in Chinese Education, 15(1):1789-1793. | Keywords: Online Learning, Moral Education, Moral Development, Meta-analysis About the Authors: Hao Wang, Faculty of Education, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, Shandong, China. Aimin Tang, Faculty of Education, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, Shandong, China. E-mail: [tam6706@126.com](tam6706@126.com) Correspondence to: Aimin Tang at Qufu Normal University of China. Conflict of Interests: None. © 2023 Insights Publisher. All rights reserved. Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 License ([http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/](http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed by the Insights Publisher. Introduction Online learning is a paradigm of learning that is partially or completely internet-based and electronic communication device-dependent. Despite the significance of online learning for moral education being widely acknowledged, there is a lack of agreement on how online learning affects moral development among researchers. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a meta-analysis that includes a wide range of relevant studies in order to obtain accurate and timely research findings. Data and Methods This meta-analysis adopted the methods proposed in Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions for data treatment (Higgins et al., 2022) and defined the reporting items according to The PRISMA 2020 Statement (Page et al., 2020) . Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria Th present study established literature inclusion and exclusion criteria according to the framework of PICOS: 􀁸 Subjects: students exercising online learning. 􀁸 Interventions: solely online learning and blended learning. 􀁸 Outcome indicator: scores by student moral understanding, reasoning, emotion, and behavior development scales. 􀁸 Research design: experimental or quasi-experimental study 􀁸 Exclusion criteria: using patients suffering from specific diseases as subjects; electronic games as interventions; information or data on outcomes missing; systematic reviews; republished literature; articles with complete text unavailable. Literature Search Method The present study collected empirical studies on the impac

FAQs

What was the purpose of this meta-analysis?

To determine how online learning affects students’ moral development by synthesizing evidence from relevant experimental and quasi-experimental studies.

How many studies and learners were included in the analysis?

The review included 42 studies with an aggregated sample of 5,303 learners.

What effects did online learning show on moral development?

Online learning improved moral understanding and reasoning, but it did not produce significant effects on moral emotions and behavior.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Bulrr