Advancing Research Syntheses in Educational Psychology to Drive Evidence-Based Developments

In recent decades, educational research has witnessed a remarkable growth in primary studies investigating the prerequisites and processes of learning and teaching.Especially in a field such as educational psychology, where learning environments, populations, and interventions are highly diverse across studies, research syntheses (e.g., systematic reviews, meta-analyses, or mixed-methods syntheses) have a high potential.They provide a thematically focused overview, and systematically identify patterns, assess the robustness and generalizability of findings, and with this have the potential to meaningfully inform educational theory, research, practice, and policy.With this topical issue, we contribute to the field in two respects.First, we highlight methodological developments that enhance the transparency, rigor, and responsiveness of research synthesis processes, thus laying the groundwork for more efficient and impactful evidence use in educational contexts.Second, and equally important, we bring together topical research syntheses on pressing issues in educational psychology that conform with advanced methodological standards.