To what extent a modern teaching style benefits students? Why do teachers act the way they do?

Background: The growth of teaching practices conducted to promote cognitive activation and active participation in the classroom in recent years has become the epicentre of an active debate regarding their effectiveness. Objectives: This study is aimed to shed some light on this topic by empirically analysing the causes and consequences of more modern strategies in Spanish secondary schools. Methods: The database used in the study was PISA 2018. In order to analyse the causes behind the teaching style followed by teachers, a logit model was used. Likewise, to analyze the consequences that a modern teaching style has on students at the age of 15, we used propensity score analysis techniques. Results and Conclusions: Regarding the results obtained through a logit model, it is shown that the likelihood of a modern teaching style decreases if teachers work for a state school or if they usually apply traditional strategies. Similarly, this series of practices are shown to be more common in schools where teachers and students make greater use of digital devices. The second section of results, focused on analysing the effect this type of teaching strategies has on cognitive, non‐cognitive and wellbeing among students, show that, on the one hand, modern teaching style negatively affects students' performance in mathematics, science or language. On the other hand, modern teaching style has been shown to contribute to improving the students' well‐being, motivation and cooperation, only being significant the latter. Moreover, this teaching style contributes to reducing bullying among students. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Modern teaching style is gaining increased popularity.Teaching style is determined by students characteristics, performance and characteristics of the teacher and the class in general.There is not an agreed‐upon hypothesis on the impact of a modern teaching style on the academic results obtained by students. What this paper adds: This study analyses empirically the factors that explain modern teaching practices at secondary schools.Modern teaching practices are negative associated with more traditional practices, being more common this style between teachers that work at private school or use more digital services, among others.Reports the first analysis, taking into account teacher and students responses about teacher style, on the effects of modern teaching practice on cognitive, non‐cognitive and wellbeing among students. Implications for practice and/or policy: Knowing the factors behind the teaching style followed by teachers can be useful in trying to adapt teaching strategies to the needs of students.Modern teaching style can be good ally to promote collaborative practices among students.Modern teaching style should be complemented with traditional practices, like summaries previous class or advice students to achieve goals, which the literature has demonstrated to be effective to improve mathematics or reading competences.Teaching style adopted by the teachers can be decisive in improving the educational system as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]