LEGO® Serious Play® Research: A Bibliometric Mapping of Themes, Trajectories and Frontiers (2015–2025)
Keywords:
LEGO Serious Play; bibliometric analysis; creative pedagogy; learning opportunityAbstract
This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research on LEGO ® Serious Play ® (LSP) from 2015 to 2025, based on data from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The total number of documents assessed in this study is 268 (169 from Scopus and 99 from Web of Science). Using co-citation, keyword co-occurrence, and literature coupling methods, the study outlines the knowledge structure, thematic development, and cross-disciplinary application of LSP in education, healthcare, and organizations. The study employs a multi-tool bibliometric analysis, following PRISMA guidelines for rigorous data curation, and uses keywords and search terms to map the intellectual and thematic landscape of LEGO® Serious Play research. The results demonstrate that constructivist theory, flow psychology, and participatory design possess strong conceptual foundations, with education-related research being the most prominent. However, the emergence of emerging fields such as psychological safety, human-computer interaction, and inclusive co-design indicates that the research field is moving towards diversification. Although the number of relevant publications is increasing, the field still suffers from methodological fragmentation, saturation of core field theories, and a lack of representation of non-Western research. The triangulated synthesis underscores the importance of longitudinal research, the development of a facilitator competency framework, and its integration with digital and embodied learning theories. This study summarizes six strategic directions for advancing LSP research, covering multimodal experimental design, cross-cultural adaptation, and open science ecosystems. This study not only provides an important action guide for future related research, but also provides a reference framework for sorting out emerging teaching technologies.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.12.25
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