Unveiling Research Gaps in Biology Teaching Materials for Secondary Science Education: A Bibliometric Review of Scopus (2000–2024)
Keywords:
biology education; bibliometric review; secondary education; science education; teaching materialsAbstract
Teaching materials for biology education help to form scientific literacy and critical thinking skills of secondary school students. This study explored the trends in research, thematic structures, and emerging gaps in developing biology teaching materials for secondary school science education through a bibliometric approach. In total 198 journal articles indexed by Scopus and published between 2000 and 2024 were systematically analyzed using the R-based Biblioshiny tool, VOSviewer, and OpenRefine. The results indicate a significant increase in publications since 2018, with the Journal of Biological Education being the most prolific journal, Phillips Exeter Academy leading in institutional contributions, and the United States emerging as the dominant country. Aivelo, Eilks, and Markic are recognized as the most influential authors in the field. Studies that garnered the highest citation counts are those published in 2007 by Folcik, in 2010 by Riess, and in 2011 by Clough, which highlight their substantial impact on the development of biology teaching materials. Thematic analysis revealed key topics, such as “education,” “teaching,” and “human,” and uncovered the emerging themes of “health education,” “self-efficacy,” and “controlled study.” These trends suggest a shift toward a learner-centered and cross-disciplinary approach to biology education. The findings emphasize the need to develop contextual, evidence-based teaching materials that integrate psychological and social dimensions in secondary school science education. Future research can build on these insights to design innovative curricula and pedagogical models that align with current educational and scientific challenges.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.6.32
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