Mapping Study of Virtual Reality in Physics Education: A Bibliometric Review (2020-2025)
Keywords:
Bibliometric Analysis, Physics Education, Sustainable Development Goals, Virtual Reality, VOSviewerAbstract
Physics concepts are frequently abstract, microscopic, and dynamic in nature, which can make them difficult for students to understand through conventional instruction, and Virtual Reality (VR) has been increasingly applied in physics education to provide immersive, interactive, and visualization-based learning experiences; however, bibliometric data specifically describing the development of VR research within physics education remain limited, so this study was conducted to map the publication trends, contributing countries, leading sources, and keyword relationships associated with VR applications in physics education. This study used a bibliometric literature review approach, guided by the PRISMA flow diagram for document identification, screening, and eligibility, and supported by VOSviewer for network visualization. We retrieved 332 documents published between 2020 and 2025 from the Scopus database using the keywords "Virtual Reality" AND Physics AND Education. The results show a fluctuating but overall increasing publication trend, with the highest output in 2025, dominated by conference papers and led by the United States, China, and India, with Indonesia among the top contributors. Keyword mapping revealed "virtual reality," "physics education," and "virtual laboratories" as the most interconnected themes. This study offers novel insight into the intellectual structure of VR-physics education research and concludes that immersive technology holds strong potential to advance quality science education aligned with SDG 4.
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