Abstract
Introduction. Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) has gained increasing attention as an innovative approach to improving students’ engagement, motivation, and conceptual understanding in science education. Although previous bibliometric studies have examined DGBL in general educational contexts, limited studies specifically focus on science education. In addition, previous reviews often relied on limited databases or analytical tools. Therefore, this study aims to map the research trends, thematic development, and knowledge structures of DGBL in science education to identify research gaps and future research directions.
Study participants and methods. This study employed a bibliometric review using the Scopus database. A total of 171 publications consisting of journal articles and conference papers published over the last two decades were selected through search, screening, and synthesis stages. Only English publications relevant to digital games in science education were included. Data were analysed using the Bibliometrix R-package to examine publication trends, citation performance, keyword co-occurrence, thematic evolution, co-citation networks, and collaboration patterns.
Results. The findings show a significant growth of DGBL research in science education, particularly after 2011. The United States and China were identified as the most productive countries. Highly cited studies mainly focus on experimental research examining learning achievement, engagement, and critical thinking skills. The keyword analysis revealed six major thematic clusters, including immersive technologies, computational thinking, pedagogical strategies, and psychological aspects of learning. Knowledge structure analysis also shows increasing interdisciplinary collaboration and the emergence of adaptive and immersive learning technologies.
Conclusion. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the research landscape of DGBL in science education and highlights important directions for future research, including integration with emerging technologies and more longitudinal intervention studies. However, the limitation of using only the Scopus database suggests future studies should incorporate multiple databases to provide a more comprehensive analysis.
Keywords
bibliometric analysis, digital game-based learning, science education, scientometrics, bibliometrix, research trends, knowledge structure
For Citation
Prahani, B. K., Rizki, I. A., & Mirtoshev, Z. (2026). Mapping Research on Digital Game-Based Learning in Science Education: A Scientometrics Review. Perspektivy nauki i obrazovania = Perspectives of Science and Education, (5), 576–588. https://doi.org/10.32744/pse.2026.5.37
Authors
Binar Kurnia Prahani [Corresponding Author] (Indonesia, Surabaya City) — State University of Surabaya. E-mail: binarprahani@unesa.ac.id
Iqbal Ainur Rizki (New Zealand, Wellington City) — Victoria University of Wellington. Email: iqbal.rizki@vuw.ac.nz
Zavkiddin Mirtoshev (Samarkand, Uzbekistan) — Samarkand State University. E-mail: zmirtoshev@samdu.uz
© Binar Kurnia Prahani, Iqbal Ainur Rizki, Zavkiddin Mirtoshev, 2026
The authors declared no conficts of interest
Received: 22 April 2026 | Approved: 15 July 2026 | Published: 31 October 2026
This is an open access article distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike International License (CC-BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal
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