Trends in Science Learning Media Research in Primary Education: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

The advancement of educational technology has reshaped science learning in primary education, with learning media playing a pivotal role in enhancing students’ engagement and scientific literacy. Although research in this area has grown steadily, systematic mapping is still limited. This study applies a bibliometric approach to analyze global trends in science learning media research within primary education using 166 publications indexed in Scopus from 2015 to 2025. Data were processed with Bibliometrix (R packages) to examine publication growth, sources, affiliations, keyword co-occurrence, and thematic evolution. The results reveal an annual growth rate of 4.45%, with research dominated by collaborative and interdisciplinary works involving 1,168 authors and an average of 9.78 co-authors per document. The most relevant publication sources include the Journal of Physics: Conference Series, AIP Conference Proceedings, and PLOS ONE, while leading affiliations are Universitas Negeri Jakarta, University of Rwanda, and University of Southampton. Keyword analysis highlights “students” as the most frequent term, alongside themes such as e-learning, STEM, engineering education, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. Trend analysis shows a thematic shift from traditional pedagogy toward adaptive and technology-driven approaches. Future opportunities emphasize artificial intelligence, immersive learning (VR/AR), educational robotics, sustainable development, and cross-national collaboration. These findings provide a comprehensive overview of the research landscape, identify key contributors and emerging themes, and suggest strategic directions for advancing innovative science learning media in primary education.