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Testing (quizzing) boosts classroom learning: a systematic and meta-analytic review

Yang, Chunliang, Luo, Liang, Vadillo, Miguel A., Yu, Rongjun, Shanks, David R.·2021·Psychological Bulletin

DOI 10.1037/bul0000309

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Abstract

Over the last century hundreds of studies have demonstrated that testing is an effective intervention to enhance long-term retention of studied knowledge and facilitate mastery of new information, compared with restudying and many other learning strategies (e.g., concept mapping), a phenomenon termed the testing effect. How robust is this effect in applied settings beyond the laboratory? The current review integrated 48,478 students' data, extracted from 222 independent studies, to investigate the magnitude, boundary conditions, and psychological underpinnings of test-enhanced learning in the classroom. The results show that overall testing (quizzing) raises student academic achievement to a medium extent (g = 0.499). The magnitude of the effect is modulated by a variety of factors, including learning strategy in the control condition, test format consistency, material matching, provision of corrective feedback, number of test repetitions, test administration location and timepoint, treatment duration, and experimental design. The documented findings support 3 theories to account for the classroom testing effect: additional exposure, transfer-appropriate processing, and motivation. In addition to their implications for theory development, these results have practical significance for enhancing teaching practice and guiding education policy and highlight important directions for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

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Authors: Yang, C., Luo, L., Vadillo, M. A., Yu, R., & Shanks, D. R.
Affiliations: Beijing Normal University (CN)
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (ES)
National University of Singapore (SG)
University College London (GB)
ORCID: Yang, Chunliang
Luo, Liang
Vadillo, Miguel A.
Yu, Rongjun
Shanks, David R.
Venue: Psychological Bulletin
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Published: 2021-04
Volume: 147
Issue: 4
Pages: 399-435
ISSN: 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
1939-1455
DOI: 10.1037/bul0000309
OpenAlex: W3134904819
Cited by: 333
References: 71
Citations by year: 2026: 57 · 2025: 84 · 2024: 80 · 2023: 49 · 2022: 43 · 2021: 19
FWCI: 25.11
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Biblos-e Archivo (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
Funders: Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2019NTSS28)
Natural Science Foundation of China (31671130; 32000742)
NUS FASS RSB-PDF Scheme under WBS (C-581-000-207-532; C-581-000-777-532)
Economic and Social Research Council (ES/S014616/1)
MadrID Science Foundation (2016-T1/SOC-1395)
Topics: Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods
Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes
Keywords: testing effect, quizzing, classroom learning, academic performance, long-term retention, restudying, corrective feedback, transfer-appropriate processing, motivation, boundary conditions, learning strategies
MeSH terms: Academic Success, Humans, Learning, Motivation, Students, Test Taking Skills

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Testing (quizzing) boosts classroom learning: a systematic and meta-analytic review

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