The factors affecting academic achievement: A systematic review of meta-analyses

One of the factors coming into mind when school achievement is mentioned is undoubtedly an academic achievement. Therefore, it is quite important to be informed of the factors influential in and associated with academic achievement in raising successful individuals. This study aims to identify the factors related to academic achievement analyzed in meta-analyses by using the systematic review method and to demonstrate the effects of those factors. The meta-analyses publications on the Web of Science-All Database before 2018 were reviewed. Following the review, 169 meta-analyses, include 8278 primary studies, which were found to serve the purpose of this study were included in the scope of the study. The effects of 254 variables on academic achievement were investigated in meta-analyses, and consequently, 427 effect sizes were found in total. Variables obtained from meta-analyses and having effect sizes between -.799 and 3.170 were examined in nine categories. It was found that the number of variables that were evaluated in the categories of psychological, socio-economic, socio-demographic and individual characteristics, learning theories and teaching strategies and family was bigger than other categories.