SCIENTIFIC DECISION-MAKING IN SCIENCE EDUCATION: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW OF TRENDS, RESEARCH GAPS, AND LEARNING IMPLICATIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32699/jkj94c25Keywords:
Argumentation, Science education, Scientific decision-making, Scientific reasoning, Socioscientific issuesAbstract
Scientific decision-making is an essential competence in science education, particularly for addressing complex real-world problems requiring evidence-based reasoning. However, although related constructs such as socioscientific issues, scientific reasoning, and argumentation are widely examined, scientific decision-making is often embedded within these constructs rather than examined as a distinct competency. This fragmentation makes it difficult to understand how scientific decision-making is conceptualized, developed, and assessed. This study aims to analyze research trends, dominant themes, research gaps, and learning implications of scientific decision-making in science education. A systematic literature review was conducted using articles published between 2021 and 2025, retrieved from Scopus on March 8, 2026, using the search query TITLE-ABS-KEY ("scientific decision making" AND "science education"). The inclusion criteria focused on peer-reviewed Scopus-indexed articles addressing scientific decision-making in science education and available in full text. Fourteen articles were selected through a focused search targeting scientific decision-making in science education and analyzed using qualitative synthesis supported by bibliometric visualization. Given the limited dataset, the findings are interpreted as indicative of emerging research patterns rather than comprehensive evidence. Findings show that research on scientific decision-making remains limited and fragmented, with studies embedding it within socioscientific issues, scientific reasoning, and argumentation rather than examining it as a distinct construct. Quantitative approaches dominate, and research is concentrated at primary and secondary education levels. These findings indicate a need for integrated conceptual frameworks, process-oriented research approaches, and explicit integration of scientific decision-making in learning design and assessment.
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