A review on the use of complex networks in science education research

Abstract

Network-based approaches have become increasingly prominent in science education research as tools for analysing relational structures in learning, teaching, and knowledge production. This review presents a PRISMA-informed scoping analysis of 82 articles published in nine leading science education journals, which are organised into four main categories: concept networks, social networks, bibliographic networks, and attitudes or behavioural networks. We observe a sustained exponential growth in the use of network methods, indicating a still-emerging and expanding research area. Concept networks dominate the literature, followed by social network analyses linking interaction structure to learning outcomes and persistence, while bibliographic and abilities-oriented networks provide complementary meta-level and practice-focused perspectives. In addition, analysis of the coauthorship network reveals a highly fragmented field, characterised by many small and weakly connected research groups, typically organised within single application categories. Complementary analysis of a citation network that includes all referenced authors shows that, despite this limited collaboration structure, the field is intellectually organised around several major traditions--network science methodology, learning sciences, and argumentation in science education--linked by a small number of bridging authors. Overall, the literature remains largely descriptive, relying on static, single-layer representations and a narrow set of network metrics. We identify substantial opportunities for advancing science education research through stronger theoretical integration and the adoption of dynamic, multilayer, and coevolutionary network frameworks.