Geo-Stem Integration and Environmental Literacy in Geography Education: A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51276/edu.v7i1.1591Keywords:
Bibliometric Analysis , Environmental Literacy , Geography Education , Geo-STEM , Urban SustainabilityAbstract
Rapid urbanization, technological acceleration, and increasing environmental degradation have intensified the need to strengthen environmental literacy through geography education. However, previous studies tend to examine Geo-STEM integration and environmental literacy separately, with limited attention to how Geo-STEM contributes to meaningful learning and behavioral transformation. This study aims to systematically map Research trends, thematic patterns, and Research gaps related to the integration of Geo-STEM and environmental literacy in geography education. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) combined with bibliometric analysis was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Data were retrieved from the Scopus database, yielding 151 articles for bibliometric analysis and 29 for qualitative synthesis. VOSviewer was employed to analyze publication trends, keyword co-occurrence, and thematic clusters. The findings reveal a significant increase in Geo-STEM and environmental literacy Research after 2020, with three dominant clusters: geography education and learning outcomes, STEM-based pedagogy, and geospatial technologies such as GIS, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence. Nevertheless, gaps remain in linking Geo-STEM implementation to behavioral change and deep learning outcomes. This study contributes by synthesizing current evidence and proposing an integrative framework to support curriculum development, teacher capacity building, and sustainable geography education.
Downloads
References
Amoah, A., & Addoah, T. (2021). Does Environmental Knowledge Drive Pro-Environmental Behaviour in Developing Countries? Evidence from Households in Ghana. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 23(2), 2719–2738. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-00698-x
Arfanuzzaman, M., & Dahiya, B. (2019). Sustainable Urbanization in Southeast Asia and Beyond: Challenges of Population Growth, Land Use Change, and Environmental Health. Growth and Change, 50(2), 725–744. https://doi.org/10.1111/grow.12297
Cox, H., Kelly, K., & Yetter, L. (2014). Using Remote Sensing and Geospatial Technology for Climate Change Education. Journal of Geoscience Education, 62(4), 609–620. https://doi.org/10.5408/13-040.1
Davis, L. F., Ramirez-Andreotta, M. D., McLain, J. E. T., Kilungo, A., Abrell, L., & Buxner, S. (2018). Increasing Environmental Health Literacy Through Contextual Learning in Communities at Risk. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(10), 2203. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15102203
Edeigba, B. A., Ashinze, U. K., Umoh, A. A., Biu, P. W., & Daraojimba, A. I. (2024). Urban Green Spaces and Their Impact on Environmental Health: A Global Review. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 21(2), 917–927. https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2024.21.2.0518
Egger, A. E. (2019). Introductory Geoscience Courses and STEM Education Research. Journal of Geoscience Education, 67(3), 193–194. https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2019.1633876
Fullan, M., Quinn, J., & McEachen, J. (2017). Deep Learning: Engage the World Change the World. Corwin Press.
Gibson, L. M., Busch, K. C., Stevenson, K. T., Cutts, B. B., DeMattia, E. A., Aguilar, O. M., Ardoin, N. M., Carrier, S. J., Clark, C. R., & Cooper, C. B. (2022). What Is Community-Level Environmental Literacy, and How Can We Measure It? A Report of a Convening to Conceptualize and Operationalize CLEL. Environmental Education Research, 28(10), 1423–1451. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2067325
Gilbertz, S., Wood, B., Craig, C., Karabas, I., Petrun Sayers, E., & McCormick, B. (2022). Integrating and Evaluating Interdisciplinary Sustainability and STEM Curriculum in Geographical Education: A Case of Three Teaching Modalities. Journal of Geography, 121(2), 77–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221341.2022.2059099
Hermawan, I. M. S., Diarta, I. M., & Dharmayanti, P. A. P. (2024). Profile, Challenge, and Opportunity of Environmental Literacy Research in Indonesia: A Systematic Literature Review. JPBI (Jurnal Pendidikan Biologi Indonesia), 10(2), 652–665. https://doi.org/10.22219/jpbi.v10i2.33953
Hiby, R., Lindner, C., Rienow, A., & Daali, S. (2024, October 14–18). The Earth-Moon System with Remote Sensing in Education - Implementing Lunar and Cis-Lunar Topics into the School Curriculum [Paper presentation]. 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Milan, Italy.
Jaeger, A. J. (2024). Google Earth as a Tool for Supporting Geospatial Thinking. Land, 13(12), 2218. https://doi.org/10.3390/land13122218
Kerski, J. J. (2022). Online, Engaged Instruction in Geography and GIS Using IoT Feeds, Web Mapping Services, and Field Tools Within a Spatial Thinking Framework. The Geography Teacher, 19(3), 93–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/19338341.2022.2070520
Lange, F. (2024). What Is Measured in Pro-Environmental Behavior Research? Journal of Environmental Psychology, 98, 102381. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102381
Lubishtani, F. B., & Lubishtani, M. (2025). Advancing Geodesy Education: Innovative Pedagogical Approaches and Integration Into STEM Curricula. STEM Education, 5(2), 229–249. https://doi.org/10.3934/steme.2025012
Manning, C. L. B., & LaDue, N. D. (2025). Geo-STEM Learning Ecosystems: A Transdisciplinary Theory-Based Framework to Establish and Engage Communities in the Geosciences. Journal of Geoscience Education, 73(2), 172–186. https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2024.2351028
Morris, D. L. (2025). Rethinking Science Education Practices: Shifting from Investigation-Centric to Comprehensive Inquiry-Based Instruction. Education Sciences, 15(1), 73. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15010073
Mukherjee, S., & Bairwa, H. (2025). Environmental Issues Arising from Urbanization: A Study on the Ecological Consequences of Rapid Urban Growth. Journal of Humanities and Education Development, 7(3), 15-22. https://doi.org/10.22161/jhed.7.3.3
Nazareth, A., Newcombe, N. S., Shipley, T. F., Velazquez, M., & Weisberg, S. M. (2019). Beyond Small-Scale Spatial Skills: Navigation Skills and Geoscience Education. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 4, Article 27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-019-0166-8
Neis, P., Cubela, D., & Rossner, A. (2024). Innovative Teaching Methods in GIScience Using the Example of Crime Mapping with ATM Explosions [Innovative Lehrmethoden in der GIScience am Beispiel von Crime Mapping mit Geldautomatensprengungen]. gis.Science, 2024(3), 88–96. https://doi.org/10.14627/gis.Science.2024.3.1
Otero, L. C., Catala, A., Morante, C. F., Taboada, M., Cebreiro, B., & Barro, S. (2023). AI Literacy in K–12: A Systematic Literature Review. International Journal of STEM Education, 10, Article 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-023-00418-7
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., McGuinness, L. A., Stewart, L. A., Thomas, J., Tricco, A. C., Welch, V. A., Whiting, P., & Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 Statement: An Updated Guideline for Reporting Systematic Reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Peretz, R., Dori, D., & Dori, Y. J. (2023). Investigating Chemistry Teachers’ Assessment Knowledge Via a Rubric for Self-Developed Tasks in a Food and Sustainability Context. Education Sciences, 13(3), 308. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13030308
Rachmadtullah, R., Aliyyah, R. R., Samsudin, A., Syaodih, E., Nurtanto, M., & Tambunan, A. R. S. (2022). Multimedia-Based Mobile Learning in Social Studies: Improving Student Learning Outcomes in Elementary Schools. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM), 16(6), 39–49. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v16i06.27306
Ramdani, A. (2025). Examining the Global Trends of Environmental Literacy: A Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis. International Journal of Current Science Research and Review, 8(9), 4592–4607. https://doi.org/10.47191/ijcsrr/V8-i9-14
Santoso, M., Lestiani, D. D., Kurniawati, S., Damastuti, E., Kusmartini, I., Atmodjo, D. P. D., Sari, D. K., Hopke, P. K., Mukhtar, R., & Muhtarom, T. (2020). Assessment of Urban Air Quality in Indonesia. Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 20(10), 2142–2158. https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2019.09.0451
Schmidt, R., & Stumpe, B. (2025). Systematic Review of Mobile Augmented Reality Applications in Geography Education. Review of Education, 13(1), e370042. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.70042
UNESCO. (2023). Global Education Monitoring Report 2023: Technology in Education – A Tool on Whose Terms? UNESCO.
Xiong, Z., Song, Y., & Zhu, R. (2025). Pedagogical Strategies for Teaching Environmental Literacy in Secondary School Education: A Systematic Review. Sustainability, 17(20), 9104. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209104
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Abdul Mufahir, Bagja Waluya, Annisa Joviani Astari

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.


































