What is Effective Teaching of Scientific Thinking: Meta-Analysis Based on Research on Science Curriculum Reform Over the Past 25 Years

Over the past quarter-century of science curriculum reform, the goal of cultivating students’ scientific thinking has gained significant prominence. This study aims to elucidate the essence of science curriculum reform and to explore the effectiveness and boundary conditions of scientific thinking teaching. First, it reviewed the historical evolution of scientific thinking as a central curricular objective. Second, drawing on the “transformative” perspective of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, it constructed a teaching design model to deconstruct the teaching structure oriented toward developing students’ scientific thinking. This model established a basis for investigating effective boundary conditions across five dimensions: Scientific Teaching Strategies, Support for Learning Design, Style of Classroom Interaction, Categories of Scientific Knowledge, and Level of Technical Interaction. Third, through a meta-analysis of 98 studies involving 13,538 K-12 students, 103 effect sizes were synthesized. The overall effect analysis revealed a statistically significant positive impact of scientific thinking teaching (Hedges’ g = 0.784). Finally, subgroup analyses identified key effective boundary conditions: student engagement in inquiry-based practical activities and experiential perception as the core of scientific thinking instruction; technology serving as an interactive “environment” that facilitates the generation of scientific thinking; interdisciplinary thematic integration as a mainstream form of science knowledge organization; student-centered teaching as a holistic, life-relevant activity; and shared teacher–student guidance coupled with participatory learning support to foster scientific thinking better. This study offers preliminary practical insights and research suggestions for educators and practitioners in the field.