Implementation of STEM education: A bibliometrics analysis from case study research in Scopus database

Abstract

In response to the long-term challenges of skills shortages and mismatches, many countries worldwide have made significant investments in STEM education. However, to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the progress of global research on the implementation of STEM education, it is essential to compile case studies on STEM education. Therefore, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of 750 publications from Scopus database to assess the bibliographic content of case studies on STEM education from 2006 to 2022. Our main findings show that the first case study on STEM education dates back to 2006, and research in this direction has grown enormously and continuously over the last five years (counting for 72.9%). The most influential articles in the field are cited mainly in the background citations section and help provide an initial perspective for readers to understand the insights discussed later in the study. The most popular journals publishing case studies in STEM education are of good quality, ranking highly in Scopus and Web of Science categories. The analysis results show three main research directions: STEM education in higher education, STEM education expands to STEAM, and STEM education activities in K12-education.