Abstract:

The integration of digital technologies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has generated a substantial body of research examining how teachers combine pedagogy, disciplinary knowledge, and digital tools to enhance learning. Among the most frequently cited frameworks guiding this work are the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework and the Substitution–Augmentation–Modification–Redefinition (SAMR) model. While both frameworks are widely referenced in discussions of technology integration, questions remain regarding how they are operationalised in STEM education research and the extent to which they are empirically connected to measurable learning outcomes. This study presents a bibliometric review that maps the conceptual development, intellectual structure, and thematic focus of research on technology integration frameworks within STEM education.

A systematic search was conducted in the Scopus and Web of Science databases to identify publications examining TPACK, SAMR, and related technology integration constructs within science and STEM education contexts. The search yielded 133 records from Scopus and 167 records from Web of Science. After merging the datasets, 62 duplicate records were removed. A further screening process excluded 43 sources that were not directly relevant to the focus of the study. The final dataset consisted of 195 unique publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers, review articles, dissertations, and book chapters.

Bibliometric analyses were conducted using VOSviewer to explore patterns within the literature. The analysis included keyword co-occurrence mapping, co-citation analysis, and bibliographic coupling to identify dominant themes, influential theoretical contributions, and emerging research clusters. Keyword co-occurrence analysis revealed several prominent thematic clusters, including teacher knowledge and professional development related to technology integration, digital tool use in inquiry-based STEM learning environments, and the design of technology-enhanced instructional strategies. Co-citation analysis highlighted the central influence of foundational work on the TPACK framework as well as scholarship on pedagogical knowledge and technology integration in education.

The results indicate that TPACK serves as the dominant organising framework in the literature, particularly in studies examining teacher knowledge, professional development, and pedagogical design for technology-enhanced STEM instruction. In contrast, the SAMR model appears less frequently in empirical research and is often used as a descriptive framework for categorising levels of technology use rather than as a theoretical basis for investigating learning processes. Furthermore, while many studies emphasise the potential of digital technologies to improve student engagement and support innovative pedagogical practices, relatively few explicitly examine the relationship between technology integration frameworks and measurable learning outcomes.

Overall, this bibliometric review provides a systematic overview of how technology integration frameworks have developed within STEM education research. The findings highlight the influence of key pedagogical frameworks while also pointing to the need for more empirically grounded investigations that connect technology integration models with student learning outcomes in science and STEM classrooms.

Keywords:

TPACK, SAMR, STEM education, technology integration, bibliometric analysis.