Exploring Research and Strategies for Preventing School Dropout: An Umbrella Review

BackgroundHomework is a common educational task given to students around the world. It demands mental exertion, but staying focused can be challenging, especially for K‐12 students. Too much homework can increase their cognitive load and mental fatigue, leading to decreased motivation and performance. This can cause boredom with homework and learning. To lessen their load and make homework more effective, it is important to establish the connection between homework duration and academic achievement.ObjectivesTo evaluate the relationship between homework time and academic performance among K‐12 students.Search MethodsOn November 5, 2021, we retrieved articles from a variety sources. Firstly, we searched 10 electronic databases for related publications, including Academic Search Premier, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, Business Source Premier, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Journal Storage (JSTOR), Learning and Technology Library (LearnTechLib), OCLC FirstSearch, Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science), and Teacher Reference Center. We also searched two publisher platforms: ScienceDirect and Taylor & Francis Online Database. Secondly, we consulted five educational organization website such as, American Educational Research Association, Best Evidence Encyclopedia, Education Endowment Foundation, European Educational Research Association, What Works Clearinghouse, and the Open Grey database for unpublished studies. We then searched Open Dissertations and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global databases to locate the relevant dissertations and theses. Additionally, we hand‐searched seven educational journals to identify unpublished documents, reports, and potential studies not indexed in the databases. Lastly, we searched Campbell Library to identify relevant reviews and primary (and nearly eligible studies) in these reviews. We also searched Google Scholar for related studies and checked the citations of eligible studies as well as their bibliographies.Selection CriteriaStudies with the following criteria were included:−Population: K‐12 school students with no disabilities or not attending special education schools;−Intervention: Homework assigned regularly by schoolteachers to students to complete during non‐school hours;−Comparison: Different time spent on the homework;−Outcomes: Academic performance was the primary outcome. The secondary outcomes were academic motivation and the quality of homework;−Study design: Treatment‐control group design or comparison group design studies.Data Collection and AnalysisWe reviewed the titles, abstracts, and full texts of the retrieved records. Our team extracted and coded all relevant information from the studies that met our inclusion criteria. To evaluate the risk of bias, we used the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomized controlled trials and ROBINS‐I for non‐randomized controlled trials. A random‐effect meta‐analysis was conducted to determine the effect of homework on academic achievement as compared to no homework. A funnel plot, trim‐and‐fill method and Egger's test were used to test for any publication bias. Due to the insufficient data on homework duration and academic achievement, we analyzed these data using qualitative synthesis.Main ResultsEleven publications were identified that examined the relationship between homework duration and academic outcomes using an experimental design. Based on their focus, we categorized them into two groups: comparisons of homework with no homework and comparison of homework with less homework. There were 10 articles with 14 independent reports that compared academic performance between students who did homework and those who did not. Overall, the meta‐analysis revealed that the students who did homework had better academic performance than that those who did not (n = 14; g = 0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.24–0.66; Q = 454.30, I2 = 71.30%, τ2 = 0.11), especially in arithmetic computation (n = 5; g = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.17–0.75; Q = 13.03, I2 = 69.29%, τ2 = 0.07) and arithmetic problems solving (n = 6; g = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.02–0.33; Q = 6.87, I2 = 27.17%, τ2 = 0.01), but not in arithmetic concepts (n = 3, g = −0.02, 95% CI: −0.22–0.18; Q = 1.46, I2 = 0.00%, τ2 = 0.00). Two experiments explored the effectiveness of homework moderated by homework time. In Koch (1965), the effects of long daily homework (20–30 min) and short daily homework (10–15 min) were compared. The authors found that achievement in arithmetic concepts was higher with long homework assignments every day. Recently, Dolean and Lervag (2021) confirmed the effect of homework on writing skills, and their findings were consistent with those of Koch (1965), who found that increasing time spent on homework was associated with greater writing achievement (average 20 min each time).Authors' ConclusionsHomework could be used as a supplement to enhance the academic performance of primary school students. However, the optimal amount of time they should dedicate each day to homework to achieve the best results remains uncertain. More high‐quality experiments are needed to determine the ideal homework duration for these students. Furthermore, additional research is required to understand the impact of homework on secondary school students.

Positive youth development and socioemotional learning stand out as the most systematic and comprehensive approaches to well-being of children and adolescents. The aim of this paper is to con-sider the relationship between the socioemotional learning and positive youth development. Based at the systematization of scientific studies in the form of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the positive youth development interventions, theoretical and practical considerations are given. The scientific results published in the last five years in English are included as well. Online data bases searched include: Google Scholar, PsycINFO, Web of Science (WOS), Education Resources Informa-tion Center (ERIC) and Scopus. The research results show that the most effective positive youth de-velopment interventions are incorporated into curriculum, based at socioemotional learning, applied by the teachers.

To review evidence of the effects of stunting, or height-for-age, on schooling level and schooling trajectories, defined as the combination of school entry age, grade repetition and dropouts. We conducted a systematic review of studies (last update 20 March 2021) that assessed the association between stunting, or height-for-age, and at least one component of school trajectory using five databases (PubMed, Embase, Education Resources Information Center [ERIC], Web of Science and PsycINFO). Two independent reviewers performed study selection and data extraction. Pooled effects were calculated using the generic inverse variance weighting random-effect model. The risk of bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool (PROSPERO ID: CRD42020198346). We screened 3944 articles, and 16 were eligible for the qualitative and quantitative syntheses. Meta-analysis showed that an increase in height-for-age leads to an increase in early enrolment [OR=1.34 (95% CI, 1.07-1.67)], a reduction in late enrolment [OR=0.63 (95% CI, 0.51-0.78)], an increase in schooling level [MD=0.24 (95% CI, 0.14-0.34)] and a reduction in school overage [OR=0.79 (95% CI, 0.70-0.90)]. Stunted children were more likely to repeat a grade than non-stunted [OR=1.59 (95% CI, 1.18-2.14)]. This review suggests that stunting in childhood might negatively affect school trajectories. Future research should evaluate the effect of stunting on school trajectories and the modification effect of socioeconomic status.

Who uses sunbeds? A systematic literature review of risk groups in developed countries.

The school environment plays an important role in children’s diets and overall health, and policies for universal free school meals have the potential to contribute to positive child health outcomes. This systematic review evaluates studies examining the association between universal free school meals and students’ school meal participation rates, diets, attendance, academic performance, and Body Mass Index (BMI), as well as school finances. The search was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). A search for studies published in economically developed countries published through December 2020 was performed in PubMed, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Thomson Reuters’ Web of Science, and Academic Search Ultimate, followed by examining the references in the resultant literature. A total of 47 studies were identified and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was applied to assess bias. Nearly all studies examining universal free school meals found positive associations with school meal participation. Most studies examining universal free school meals that included free lunch found positive associations with diet quality, food security, and academic performance; however, the findings of studies examining only universal free breakfast were mixed. Research findings were similarly mixed when examining attendance as an outcome. Concerns about adverse outcomes on student BMI were not supported by the literature; in fact, several studies detected a potentially protective effect of universal free school meals on BMI. Research examining the impact of universal free meals on school finances was limited, but suggest that lower-income school districts in the U.S. may have positive financial outcomes from participation in universal free school meal provisions. Additionally, providing free meals to students may be associated with improved household incomes, particularly among lower-income families with children. Further research is needed to examine the financial implications of universal free meals for both school districts and families. Overall, universal free school meals may have multiple benefits for students and countries should consider universal free school meal provisions with strong nutrition guidelines. (PROSPERO registration: CRD42020221782).

School-based programs focused on externalizing problems in students are recognized as an important part of school life and work. The aim of this paper is the systematization of scientific studies in the form of systematic presentations and meta-analysis of school programs, in which externalising problems in students is among the criteria for assessing the effectiveness of the program. Scientific results published in English in the last seven years are included in the systematization. Bases searched during research are: Google Scholar, PsycINFO, Web of Science (WOS), Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) and Scopus. The results of the research indicate that the most successful school-based interventions resulting in the prevention and reduction of externalizing problems are based on socio-emotional learning, that they are mostly implemented by teachers, that they are incorporated into the curriculum, and that their success depends on the quality of implementation.

Aim/Purpose: The study aimed to investigate the influence of technology support, social support, academic support, and service support on student satisfaction and their relationships in private and state universities. Background: Coherent support between students, teachers, and management is usually extended beyond classroom scheduling and space. This support has a positive significant influence on student satisfaction, which may influence students’ academic, behavioral, emotional and social development. This support is assisted via technology, social, academic, and instant service support, which may have an impact on its nature. Methodology: In the current study, a cross-sectional survey was used to collect the research data. Convenience sampling was used to select the participants for the study. It targeted a population sampled from engineering students from both private and state universities of central India (n=240). In quantitative data analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS. Contribution: The present study expands the growing body of knowledge about student satisfaction via technology, social, academic, and service support. We identify the unique aspects of factors that are positively related to student satisfaction, which shed light on student satisfaction. Findings from this study may assist educators (while in training and/or professional development programs) to reflect upon their educational strategies to enhance the level of satisfaction among the students and to check how their students can benefit from the support system in the institution. Findings: The results indicated that the institutional support dimensions –technology support, academic support, social support, and service support –are positively significantly related to student satisfaction in both state and private universities. Recommendations for Practitioners: As a result of the study, it is recommended to university policymakers and administrations to provide and emphasize the importance of institutional support. In addition, it is recommended to provide students with knowledge that focuses on technology, academic, social, and other related service support. Doing so can provide valuable insight into students’ level of satisfaction enhancement with institutional support. Recommendation for Researchers: As a result of the study, it is recommended to university policymakers and administrations to provide and emphasize the importance of institutional support. In addition, it is recommended to provide students with knowledge that focuses on technology, academic, social, and other related service support. Doing so can provide valuable insight into students’ level of satisfaction enhancement with institutional support. Impact on Society: This paper is a broad overview using a survey, so future research should focus on a more detailed analysis of the consequence of student satisfaction, possibly using controlled experiments. In addition, qualitative exploration is advisable, as it may shed more light on the unique aspects of factors that are related to student satisfaction. Future Research: This paper is a broad overview using a survey, so future research should focus on a more detailed analysis of the consequence of student satisfaction, possibly using controlled experiments. In addition, qualitative exploration is advisable, as it may shed more light on the unique aspects of factors that are related to student satisfaction.

Evidence-based Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL) programs promote the acquisition of intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies, such as self-awareness, self-control, social awareness, social skills, and responsible decision-making, within educational settings. To optimize the socio-emotional development of students, it is crucial to understand teachers' knowledge, practices, and context regarding SEL (Humphries et al., 2018). Despite various calls to address the socio-emotional development of children in educational contexts in Colombia (Pérez, 2016), there is limited research on SEL. This qualitative study investigated the perspectives of thirteen teachers from diverse sociocultural contexts in Colombia. Specifically, it explored teachers' knowledge about SEL, their actions to promote the socio-emotional development of their students, and their needs and barriers. The interviews were designed based on previous studies that examined teachers' knowledge and practices related to SEL (e.g., Bridgeland et al., 2013; Buchanan et al., 2009; Humphries et al., 2018). Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted, and Flick's (2014) methodology was used for data reduction, reorganization, and representation. The results show that teachers have a solid understanding of socio-emotional skills and hold positive attitudes toward SEL. However, socioeconomic disparities and lack of training hinder the implementation of evidence-based SEL, especially in rural schools affected by armed conflict. Teachers highlighted the need for SEL training and the importance of culturally sensitive and trauma-informed practices, supported by public policies. Creating a supportive environment for the implementation of SEL is crucial. Through targeted training and culturally sensitive practices, teachers can effectively promote the socio-emotional well-being of all students. These findings underscore the importance of investing in SEL education, especially in contexts affected by socioeconomic disparities and armed conflict, to promote the socio-emotional development of at-risk students.

The decision to organize and restructure institutions have become crucial due to dynamics of the Academic environment in private Universities. Organizational structure is the most important structural choice a leader must make as it establishes the formal categorization, coordination, and division of work duties in an organization, The authors assert that the organizational structure and level of employees dedication among academic staff members are very crucial. The decision to organize and restructure institutions has become crucial due to the dynamics of the academic environment in private universities. Organizational structure is the most important structural choice a leader must make as it establishes the formal categorization, coordination, and division of work duties in an organization. The authors assert that the organizational structure and level of employee’s dedication among academic staff members are very crucial. The study is aimed at reviewing literature on organizational structure and academic staff performance in private universities in Western Uganda. In order to achieve this, the researcher used ProQuest significantly with the appearance of web-based providers which includes: Science Direct; Web of Science; Em-erald; Google Scholar; Scopus ,Springer; Education Resources Information Centre (ERIC), Tylor and Francis. All the databases were scanned to retrieve the published articles in social science, management education with regard to Organizational structure and academic staff performance in private universities in Uganda. I used a computer laptop and internet gadgets and downloaded 100 articles and some journals related to the research topic under review. Review findings indicate that organizational boundaries and hierarchical layers have a substantial impact on academic staff performance and promote dedication among academic staff members in universities. It was also found that organizational structure and service delivery are positively correlated. On the basis of the literature reviewed, empirical evidence shows that organizational structure has a significant impact on academic staff performance in private universities in Uganda. Keywords: Organizational structure, academic staff performance, private universities

Smartphones may be particularly prone to distracting students, allowing them to spend more time engaging with their devices rather than focusing on academic tasks. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of the use of smartphones on student academic performance in higher education. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to guarantee the inclusion of relevant academic materials. We examined 8 out of 299 documents gathered from the Education Resources Information Centre (ERIC), Scopus, and Web of Science (WoS) databases that were published since 2018. During the screening phase, excel files with details about the paper, including title, author and abstract, were exported from the database. Specifically, these papers focused on parameters such as primary, middle and high school students, smartphone addiction. Our bibliometric assessment shows that research on the use of smartphones for specific academic purposes has remained scarce in recent years, and most of the studies are located in Asian countries. The research supports that the academic use of smartphones has a significant positive impact on student academic performance in higher education. It shows that using smartphones for learning purposes has various positive effects on students' learning in and out of the classroom, such as motivating students, increasing their collaboration and interaction, and improving their engagement in learning. Also, the study found positive student attitudes toward the use of smartphone-assisted learning apps. We concluded that smartphone use has a significant positive impact on academic performance.

The potential role of self-regulated learning as mediator has been deeply investigated by researchers in recent years. There is limited systematic literature review being done to investigate the role of self-regulated learning as mediator in the students’ academic learning. Therefore, searching studies in the databases WOS (Web of Science), SCOPUS, APA (American Psychological Association) PsycInfo, and ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), the present study conducted a systematic literature review on 32 studies published between 2015 and 2024 to summarize what kind of psychological factors influence students’ academic performance through self-regulated learning and assess the potential mediating role of self-regulated learning in this process. The results show that self-efficacy, emotions and motivation are significant predictors of academic achievement and self-regulated learning act as an important mediator in this relationship. An important implication was obtained that researchers can probe into the influence of specific dimensions of self-efficacy on learning performance through self-regulated learning and the influence of positive emotions such as resilience on learning outcomes with self-regulated learning as mediator.

TO TEST OR NOT TO TEST THAT IS THE QUESTION

ContextThe need for curricular innovation, especially in university education, is incorporated into the agenda of universities for undergraduate health courses, whether through the models adopted in educational institutions, referenced by their curricula, or through traditional practices that still prevail in the 21st century as a form of teaching, to the detriment of innovative practices. With high retention and dropout rates in university courses, the contemporary scenario calls for the development of strategies to reorganize curricula that meet the new demands of student training, implementing new projects, programs, and/or tools that stimulate new teaching and learning processes. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the evidence of the effectiveness of projects, programs, and/or strategies for curricular innovation in undergraduate health courses through a systematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsThe systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and were carried out in two stages: (a) search and selection and (b) analysis and evaluation. Eight databases were used: Cochrane Library; Education Resource Information Center (ERIC); Embase; Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS); PubMed-Medline; SCOPUS; Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO); and Web of Science. The review included qualitative research, cohort studies, cross-sectional and quasi-experimental analytical studies that addressed evidence of the effectiveness of projects, programs, and/or strategies for curricular innovation in undergraduate health courses. The quality of the selected studies was assessed based on the Joanna Briggs Institute evaluation criteria. The meta-analysis was based on data on student satisfaction prevalence, self-efficacy, and academic performance. Publication bias was investigated by visual inspection of funnel plots and Egger’s test.ResultsNinety-nine studies were included in the systematic review and 23 in the meta-analysis, covering publications from 1995 to 2024 in 19 countries, with a time span of almost three decades of studies on curricular innovations and evaluations in the health field, which provided an overview of the advances in this area. The interventions were classified into seven thematic areas: clinical simulation, interprofessional training, diversity and equity, assessment and feedback, educational leadership, humanistic education, and digital teaching. The studies analyzed highlighted that curricular innovations promote the improvement of critical skills, such as critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and interprofessional teamwork, in addition to increasing student satisfaction and engagement. Advances were also observed in the development of humanistic skills, cultural sensitivity, and adaptation to digital technologies and online education. These interventions positively impacted health education, strengthening technical competencies and clinical skills, while transforming institutional culture by valuing collaborative teaching practices. Students exposed to early practical experiences reported greater motivation, confidence, and satisfaction with the course, reflecting more robust preparation for professional challenges. In addition, the results of the meta-analysis showed a weighted prevalence of 82% (76%-88%) for student satisfaction, 67% (49%-86%) for self-efficacy, and 70% (64%-75%) for academic performance after the implementation of curricular interventions. Furthermore, it was observed that most studies showed significant positive effects on outcomes after the adoption of these interventions.ConclusionThe findings suggest that curricular interventions have the potential to positively impact the training of health professionals. Thus, we conclude that curricular innovation strategies in health courses are promising, based on improvements in self-efficacy, academic performance, and student satisfaction, promoting indicators of teaching quality in the contexts in which they were carried out. We recommend the development of longitudinal and multicenter studies that investigate the effects of these innovations on professional practice and the quality of health care, considering different cultural and institutional contexts.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-025-08306-0.

Schools face increasing demands to provide education on healthy living and improve core academic performance. Although these appear to be competing concerns, they may interact beneficially. This article focuses on school garden programs and their effects on students' academic and dietary outcomes. Database searches in CABI, Web of Science, Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Education Full Text, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), and PsychINFO were conducted through May 2013 for peer-reviewed literature related to school-day garden interventions with measures of dietary and/or academic outcomes. Among 12 identified garden studies with dietary measures, all showed increases/improvements in predictors of fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption. Seven of these also included self-reported FV intake with 5 showing an increase and 2 showing no change. Four additional interventions that included a garden component measured academic outcomes; of these, 2 showed improvements in science achievement and 1 measured and showed improvements in math scores. This small set of studies offers evidence that garden-based learning does not negatively impact academic performance or FV consumption and may favorably impact both. Additional studies with more robust experimental designs and outcome measures are necessary to understand the effects of experiential garden-based learning on children's academic and dietary outcomes.

Youth leadership fosters civic engagement, yet its academic implications remain understudied. This study examines how the responsibilities of Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials in District 2, Davao Oriental influence their academic performance, focusing on behavioral factors (time management, study habits), academic support (class scheduling, lecturer-student interaction), and social support (family and peers), while comparing students’ grades before and during SK service. A total of 203 SK officials, selected through stratified random sampling from a population of 970, completed a survey measuring academic performance using an ordinal GPA scale at two time points. Data were analyzed using Spearman’s rho correlation, ordinal logistic regression, and the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. Results indicated that time management was weakly but significantly associated with GPA (ρ = –0.16, p = .02), while among academic and social support factors, only class scheduling and academic calendars approached significance (β = 0.31, p = .06). Comparative analysis revealed a significant decline in academic performance during SK service, particularly among high-achieving students (Z = –5.56, p < .001). These findings suggest that youth civic engagement may impose academic strain when institutional support is limited. The study highlights the importance of flexible academic policies, blended learning opportunities, and structured support systems to enable student-leaders to maintain academic success while fulfilling their community responsibilities.