A systematic review of the current trend of STEM education and its
implications for discipline of social science

Dam-Eun Kim

doi:10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i08.040

Title: A systematic review of the current trend of STEM education and its implications for discipline of social science
Authors: Dam-Eun Kim
Journal: International Journal of Social Science and Economic Research (IJSSER) ISSN: 2455-8834 Volume: 11 Issue: 8 Publication Date: August 2026 DOI: 10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i08.040
\|\| \|\|
Dam-Eun Kim North London Collegiate School Jeju
MLA 8 Kim, Dam-Eun. "A systematic review of the current trend of STEM education and its implications for discipline of social science." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, vol. 11, no. 8, Aug. 2026, pp. 4177-4288, doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i08.040. Accessed Aug. 2026. APA 6 Kim, D. (2026, August). A systematic review of the current trend of STEM education and its implications for discipline of social science. Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, 11(8), 4177-4288. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i08.040 Chicago Kim, Dam-Eun. "A systematic review of the current trend of STEM education and its implications for discipline of social science." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research 11, no. 8 (August 2026), 4177-4288. Accessed August, 2026. https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i08.040.
References [1] . Batdi, V., Talan, T., & Semerici, C. (2019). Meta-thematic analysis of STEM education. International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, 7 (4), 382-399. [2] . Becker, K., & Park, K. (2011). Effects of integrative approaches among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects on students’ learning: A preliminary meta-analysis. Journal of STEM Education, 12 (5), 23-38. [3] . Belland, B. R., Walker, A. E., Olsen, M. W., & Leary, H. (2015). A pilot meta-analysis of computer-based scaffolding in STEM education. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 18 (1), 183-197. [4] . Breiner, J. M., Harkness, S. S., Johnson, C. C., & Koehler, C. M. (2012). What is STEM? A discussion about conceptions of STEM in education and partnerships. School Science and Mathematics, 112 (1), 3-11. [5] . Brophy, S., Klein, S., Portsmore, M., & Rogers, C. (2008). Advancing engineering education in P-12 classrooms. Journal of Engineering Education, 97 (3), 369-387. [6] . Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the bahavioral science (2nd ed.). Hillsdale,NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associations. [7] . D’Angelo, C. M., Rutstein, D., & Harris, C. J. (2016). Learning with STEM simulation in the classrooms: Finding and trends from a Meta-analysis. Educational Technology, 56 (3), 58-61. [8] . Ejiwale, J. (2013). Barriers to successful implementation of STEM education. Journal of Education and Learning, 7 (2), 63-74. [9] . Ibáñez, M. & Delgado-Kloos, C. (2018). Augmented reality for STEM learning: A systematic review. Computers & Education, 123 , 109-123. [10] . Izzah, S., & Wiyanto, W. (2018). The effect of STEM education on the attitudes of secondary school students: A metaanalysis. Advanced in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 247, 454-458. [11] . Kanadi, S. (2019). A meta-summary of qualitative findings about STEM education. International Journal of Instruction, 12 (1), 959-976. [12] . Kang, N. (2019). A review of the effect of integrated STEM or STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) education in South Korea. Asia-Pacific Science Education, 5 , 1-22. [13] . Lawner, E. K., Quinn, D. M., Camacho, G., Johnson, B. T., & Pan-Weisz, B. (2019). Ingroup role models and underrepresented students’ performance and interest in STEM: A meta-analysis of lab and field studies. Social Psychology of Education, 22, 1169-1195. [14] . Lynch, K., Hill, H. C., Gonzalez, K. E., & Pollard, C. (2019). Strengthening the research base that informs STEM instruction improvement efforts: A meta-analysis. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 41 (3), 260-293. [15] . Murphy, S., MacDonald, A., Danala, L., & Wang, C. (2019). An analysis of Australian STEM education strategies. Policy Futures in Education, 17 (2), 122-139. [16] . Parkin, A. (2018) Canada 2067. Supporting Education Transformation in Canada: The Intersection of Canada 2067 and Education 2030 Framework for Action . London, ON: Let's Talk Science. [17] . Pellas, N., Kazanidis, I., Konstantinou, N., & Georgiou, G. (2017). Exploring the educational potential of three-dimensional multi-user virtual worlds for STEM education: A mixed-method systematic literature review. Educational Information Technology, 22 , 2235-2279. [18] . Pires, Flávio. (2012). Thomas Kuhn's 'Structure of Scientific Revolutions' applied to exercise science paradigm shifts: Example including the Central Governor Model. British journal of sports medicine. 47. 10.1136/bjsports-2012-091333. [19] . Sarac, H. (2018). The effect of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – STEM educational practices on students’ learning outcomes: A meta-analysis study. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 17 (2), 125-142. [20] . Sarica, R. (2020). Analysis of postgraduate theses related to STEM education in Turkey: A meta-synthesis study. Acta Didactica Napocensia, 13 (2), 1-29. [21] . Siregar, N., Rosli, R., Maat, S., & Capraro, M. (2020). The effect of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program on students’ achievement in Mathematics: A meta-analysis. International Electronics Journal of Mathematics Education, 15 (1), 1-12. [22] . Timulak, L. (2014). Qualitative Meta-Analysis. In U., Flick. (Ed). The sage handbook of qualitative data analysis . Washington, DC: Sage. [23] . Yildirim, B. (2016). An analyses and meta-synthesis of research on STEM education. Journal of Education and Practices, 7 (34), 23-33. [24] . Young, J., Ortiz, N., & Young, J. (2017). STEMulating interest: A meta-analysis of the effects of out-of-school time on student STEM interest. International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, 5 (1), 62-74. [25] . Zainuddin, S. H., & Iksan, Z. (2019). Sketching engineering design in STEM classroom: A systematic review. Creative Education, 10 (12), 2775-2783.
ABSTRACT: STEM education is being emphasized globally as a way to cultivate talents required in the 21st century as a key to solving current and future problems. This paper investigates the trends of existing education policies, identifies new issues, and discusses how to improve issues when applying STEM convergence education policies using a systematic literature review. Based on this review, the purpose of this study is to identify and analyze current trends in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and issues arising from international research in the field. The data analyzed consists of a systematic literature review reflecting various issues in STEM education through selection criteria and expert group reviews. Five key issues were identified through a systematic analysis of 19 studies. First, STEM education is widely recognized as an educational trend in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and Turkey. Second, STEM education positively contributes to the improvement of students' cognitive, affective, psychomotor, and career development. Third, the successful implementation of STEM education requires diverse teaching tools and technologies. In addition, enhancing teachers' expertise in STEM education is a critical factor in its success. Finally, the effective practice of STEM education necessitates diversity, equity, and valid and reliable research designs. The findings of this study provide implications for the strategic direction and implementation of STEM education, along with suggestions for future research.

IJSSER is Member of