How effective are utility-value interventions, aimed at improving the academic performance of STEM students aged 18 to 25, in higher education settings?

Abstract

Utility value interventions (UVIs) ask students to write short essays or letters about the personal relevance of course material to their lives or the lives of others; helping students to make meaningful real-life connections. UVIs are based on expectancy-value theory, which suggests that individuals pursue challenging tasks if they think they will succeed and if they find value in what they are learning (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002). This systematic literature review aims to examine how effective UVIs are at improving the academic performance of students aged 18 to 25, who are studying science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects in university. A systematic literature search was carried out on three databases and six studies met the inclusion criteria. One medium effect size was found, the rest were either small or negligible. As a result, the findings suggest that UVIs may have minimal impact on the academic performance of young people aged 18 to 25 who are studying STEM subjects in higher education settings. Future research should seek to address the limitations that were identified and investigate the effectiveness of UVIs for underperforming students.