Contribution of Different Teaching Approaches to Reducing Learners’ Cognitive Load in Physics Classrooms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cognitive load is a key factor influencing student success. As physics plays a significant role in developing critical thinking, it is important to identify the most effective approach for achieving the highest student performance, specifically the lowest extraneous cognitive load. Although numerous student-centred teaching approaches have been developed in recent decades, their comparative effects on reducing cognitive load remain insufficiently systematised. Therefore, the aim of this research is to systematically review and meta-analytically examine the contribution of different teaching approaches in physics education to reducing perceived cognitive load during learning. Following PRISMA guidelines, studies published in English in the past ten years were identified from the Scopus and WoS databases. After applying inclusion criteria and removing duplicates, 32 studies reported in 28 papers were reviewed. Random-effects meta-analysis, mixed-effects meta-regression, and sensitivity analyses were conducted using R. The results show varying contributions to cognitive load reduction and high heterogeneity. However, three groups of teaching strategies—immersive technologies, simulations, and mobile learning—show a tendency towards greater cognitive load reduction. The main conclusion is that the effectiveness of a teaching approach in reducing cognitive load depends on how the approach is implemented, rather than simply on the use of technology.