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PubMed2026

Does Inquiry-Based Learning Improve Students' Critical Thinking? A Meta-Analysis Accounting for Control Group Variations.

BACKGROUND: Inquiry learning is widely recognized, through empirical studies, as an appropriate instruction in enhancing students' critical thinking, yet the results were varied across context. The previous meta-analysis did not include the control group variations as a potential moderator and the studies subject domain was limited only to science subjects. Consequently, it is difficult to generalize the effectiveness of IBL in enhancing critical thinking. This meta-analysis aims to investigate whether inquiry learning is effective in improving the students' critical thinking skills and examine the moderating roles of each study characteristic. Methods The literature search applying the PRISMA protocol 2020 was conducted by utilizing SCOPUS, ERIC, and DOAJ databases. A total of 57 studies from 51 articles, published from 2015 to 2025, were synthesized using a random-effects model with standardized mean difference (SMD). RESULTS: The analysis revealed that IBL has a large and significant effect on enhancing students' critical thinking (g = 1.336; 95% CI [1.061, 1.611]). However, substantial heterogeneity was observed (I 2 = 92.09%), suggesting variability across contexts. Moderator analyses revealed that the main moderator, control group variations, was statistically significant in moderating the effectiveness of IBL (Qm = 5.21; p = .022). in contrast, subject domain (Qm = 1.43; p = .698), education level (Qm = 1.11; p = .774), and country ( Q m  = 3.33; p = .650), were insignificantly moderating the effectiveness of inquiry learning. CONCLUSIONS: The present meta-analysis highlighted that IBL is effective in improving students' critical thinking. However, the effectiveness of IBL was relative to the type of control group variations. Its effect on critical thinking was greater when compared with teacher-centered learning but smaller when compared with other student-centered learning.

Thinking↗
PubMed2026

The role of simulator immersion on learning and transfer of decision-making skill in sport.

Virtual reality has become popular in sport and other domains because it can immerse the user within a sporting context and solve logistical problems for additional off-field training. There is limited evidence, however, of whether immersion is crucial for learning and transfer. This study compared training of decision-making skill between 360-degree video virtual reality (360VR) and two-dimensional video. Twenty-eight Australian Rules Football players were randomly assigned to one of three training groups: 360VR, two-dimensional video, and control. Across four weeks, participants in the training groups were exposed to decision-making scenarios consisting of visual, contextual and auditory cues. Performance was assessed pre- and post-training with virtual reality and field-based decision-making tests. Results indicated that the two-dimensional video training group showed significantly superior decision-making in the field-based transfer test compared to 360VR and control groups post intervention. There was also indication that two-dimensional video training was superior to the control post intervention in the virtual reality test. Findings indicate that immersion created in virtual reality is not an underpinning mechanism for learning and transfer, rather the use of perceptual information is crucial. 360VR may facilitate uptake through engagement, but two-dimensional video is adequate for learning and transfer of decision-making to the field.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Implicit and explicit statistical learning in reading: Evidence from a randomized controlled-learning study and computational modeling.

A key challenge in reading acquisition is understanding how learners extract the complex probabilistic mappings between print, meaning, and sound. Statistical learning (SL) theory offers a mechanistic account of how such mappings are acquired, whether implicitly through exposure or explicitly through instruction. We conducted a randomized controlled-learning study in Chinese, a writing system characterized by multiple sub-lexical regularities linking orthography, semantics, and phonology. Ninety-five 2nd-3rd graders with or at risk for dyslexia were randomly assigned to one of three groups: an implicit-SL training group exposed to repeated lexical and sublexical orthography-semantics-phonology associations, an explicit-SL training group receiving the same input plus explicit instruction on the sublexical print-sound mapping, and a no-SL control group. Both SL groups outperformed controls on the characters they were trained on, as well as on untrained characters that required generalization. However, only the explicit group demonstrated abstraction of print-sound mapping to novel items. Neural network simulations further revealed distinct mechanisms supporting implicit and explicit SL, consistent with a dual-system account of reading acquisition. Together, these findings (1) clarify how implicit and explicit learning distinctly support the discovery of statistical structure in written language and (2) underscore the implicit-explicit dual learning mechanism underlying reading acquisition.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Response-optimised training improves learning of a complex motor task and closely related motor tasks.

Regular physical exercise is essential for promoting healthy aging and longevity. In older adults with varying physical and cognitive decline, optimising exercise interventions is crucial to maximise benefits. A promising approach to achieve this goal is by adjusting task demands to individual abilities in turn preventing over- or underloading their abilities. In the field of motor learning, it is currently unclear whether such an optimised training improves not only performance on the trained task but also transfers to untrained motor and cognitive tasks. We conducted a randomized, single-blinded, 6-week dynamic balance training (DBT) with healthy older adults (n = 30). Training was tailored to individual balance ability. Participants were assigned to either suboptimal (high or low difficulty) or optimal (moderate difficulty) training groups. Transfer effects were assessed via cognitive tasks (memory and executive) and motor tasks (untrained DBT variations and other balance tasks) measured pre-, mid- and post-intervention. Multivariate longitudinal statistical analysis showed higher performance gains in the optimal training group in three out of six sessions compared to the suboptimal groups, especially under testing conditions with high task demands. The optimal group also showed greater improvements in near motor transfer tasks mid- and post-intervention, while no significant differences were observed in the cognitive tasks. Within-group DBT learning positively correlated with transfer gains, highlighting the role of training response in achieving transfer. In conclusion, optimised task difficulty in balance training enhances both task-specific performance and related motor skills, supporting the use of personalised interventions to maintain function and independence in older adults.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

The effects of visuomotor training and tDCS stimulation on visuomotor integration and visual processing: an electrophysiological approach.

BACKGROUND: Visuomotor integration coordinates visual and motor cortical activity to produce goal-directed responses and can be indexed by Rolandic Mu-rhythm suppression and visual evoked potential (VEP) P100 parameters. Perceptual-motor training improves visuomotor performance, and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over primary motor cortex (M1) has been reported to enhance motor learning when paired with training. This study examined whether anodal M1 tDCS augments the effects of Senaptec visuomotor training in healthy adults. METHODS: Sixty participants were randomized to active anodal tDCS (five 10-minute sessions, 1 mA; n = 31) or sham (n = 29) over M1 immediately before each Senaptec training session; 53 completed all sessions and post-testing. Outcomes were Mu-suppression ratios, VEP P100 latency and amplitude, and Senaptec measures of visual sensitivity and visuomotor control. RESULTS: Active tDCS produced no augmentation of any outcome, with no significant group × time interaction for any measure, consistent across composite and task-level analyses. Training alone produced no change in Mu suppression or visuomotor control. By contrast, both groups showed significant training-related gains in visual sensitivity, including near-far quickness and stereopsis, accompanied by shorter P100 latencies and larger amplitudes, indicating more efficient early visual processing. CONCLUSIONS: A clear dissociation emerged: training produced robust improvements in early visual processing, whereas neither tDCS nor training altered sensorimotor (Mu) or visuomotor-control measures. The tDCS results should be interpreted cautiously given the modest dose and limited power to detect small effects, rather than as evidence of inefficacy. Tablet-based perceptual training enhanced visual processing independent of neuromodulation.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Not just when, but how: An exploratory dual-control approach to video feedback in motor learning.

The present study provides exploratory evidence for a novel dual-control paradigm. It examines whether combining temporal over video feedback timing with learner-controlled interactive playback functions (pause, slow-motion, rewind) would enhance motor skill acquisition beyond temporal autonomy alone. Sixty-four novice adults were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: Full Control (self-controlled timing + interactive replay), Partial Control (self-controlled timing + non-interactive replay), Yoked Full Control (externally controlled timing + interactive replay), or Yoked Partial Control (externally controlled timing + non-interactive replay). Motor accuracy (Radial Error), movement consistency (Bivariate Variable Error), technical execution, and self-efficacy were assessed at pre-test, 24-h retention, and 72-h retention following two acquisition sessions on a dart-throwing task (120 trials total). The Full Control group demonstrated the greatest and most durable learning gains across all outcomes. The Group × Time interaction was significant across all dependent variables (η2ₚ ranging from 0.140 to 0.234), with Full Control demonstrating superior retention at both 24 and 72 h relative to other groups (though differences relative to Partial Control were more pronounced at 72-h retention). Critically, the Yoked Full Control group showed comparatively weaker outcomes despite access to the same interactive playback functions. These findings suggest that interactive video tools may be most useful when learners can regulate both when feedback is accessed and how it is inspected. Theoretical and practical implications for the design of learner-centered video feedback systems are discussed.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Comparative effectiveness of game-based learning modalities in nursing and medical education: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Game-based learning (GBL) is increasingly used in healthcare education, but educators must choose among diverse modalities (e.g., quiz platforms, apps, serious games and metaverse environments). Comparative evidence on which modalities perform best across learning domains (knowledge, attitudes, and practice) remains limited. AIM: To compare the effects of distinct GBL modalities on knowledge, attitudes, and practice outcomes in nursing and medical education and to explore whether comparative effects differ by learner group (pre-licensure students and in-service professionals). DESIGN: PRISMA-NMA-aligned systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis. METHODS: We searched eight databases and trial registries through September 2, 2024, for randomized controlled trials comparing GBL with traditional teaching (TT). Outcomes were transformed to a 0-100 scale and analysed as change from baseline in Bayesian consistency models; random-effects models were selected using deviance information criterion (DIC). Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2. We report mean differences (MDs) with 95% credible intervals (CrIs) versus TT, ranking probabilities, and subgroup NMAs by learner group. RESULTS: Thirty-one RCTs (n = 3439) were included; 15 contributed complete data to the network. Risk of bias was low in 15 trials and raised some concerns in 16. The network was modest for knowledge (11 trials) and sparse for attitudes (3) and practice (4). Compared with TT, metaverse-based learning showed improved attitudes (MD 15; 95% CrI 12 to 18), based on a single trial. For knowledge and practice, Kahoot-based quizzes (MD 9.1; 95% CrI -8.9 to 27) and app-based learning (MD 4.6; 95% CrI -4.4 to 14) had the highest estimated mean improvements, but credible intervals were wide and included the null for most comparisons. Subgroup rankings differed by learner group, but several comparisons were imprecise and uncertainty was substantial, particularly in sparse networks. CONCLUSIONS: GBL modalities may improve learning outcomes compared with TT, but relative effects appear domain-specific and the certainty of rankings is limited by sparse evidence and imprecision. Future trials should prioritise head-to-head comparisons, robust outcome measurement, and longer-term retention and transfer outcomes in both student and in-service populations.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Advancing nursing education through social and emotional learning: A systematic review guided by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning framework.

BACKGROUND: With Generation Z entering the nursing workforce in growing numbers, strengthening social and emotional learning is critical for academic success, professional adaptation, and safe practice. However, the existing evidence remains fragmented because of varied interventions and inconsistent approaches. OBJECTIVES: This systematic review examined (1) the social and emotional learning essential for nursing students and nurses within the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning framework, (2) their impact on educational and clinical outcomes, and (3) implications for advancing nursing education and practice. METHODS: Following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, five international (PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane) and three Korean (RISS, KoreaMed, KMBASE) databases were searched up to June 2025. Eighteen studies involving 2,952 participants met the inclusion criteria, including quasi-experimental quantitative studies, descriptive quantitative studies, qualitative studies, and mixed-methods studies. The methodological quality of the included studies was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. RESULTS: Within the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning framework, relationship skills and self-management were the most frequently studied competencies, emphasizing teamwork, communication, and stress regulation. Self-awareness and social awareness were underexplored, despite their importance in empathy, resilience, and reflective practice. Responsible decision-making was the least studied competency, despite its importance in ethical reasoning. Social and emotional learning was consistently associated with enhanced adaptation, communication, leadership, relationships, and clinical performance. Effective strategies included blended learning, simulation, reflective activities, and mentorship, which are aligned with Generation Z's learning preferences. CONCLUSION: Although social and emotional learning integration is associated with improvements in educational and clinical outcomes in nursing, current research has largely centered on relational and stress-related competencies while underrepresenting responsible decision-making. To cultivate reflective, empathetic, and ethically grounded nurses, curricula should integrate social and emotional learning through a balanced and structured approach. REGISTRATION: This study was registered on PROSPERO (ID: CRD420251005683).

Humans↗