Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn)
Vol 20, No 3: August 2026

Research landscape of PBL-STEM education: a systematic analysis review

Zhang Lei (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia)
Nur Atiqah Jalaludin (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia)
Mohamad Sattar Rasul (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia)



Article Info

Publish Date
01 Aug 2026

Abstract

The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has emerged as a global education priority, many countries have printed their development strategies to national blueprints and recognized STEM education as a key role in the effective implementation of skills training in the21st-century. Project-based learning (PjBL) and problem-based learning (PrBL) or PBL is significant in cultivating students’ knowledge and skills, integrating PBL into STEM (PBL-STEM) education is a new attempt in recent years to integrate student-centered learning methods into the STEM learning process. This study aims to explore the development trends of PBL-STEM and provide recommendations to support talent cultivation in the digital era. Based on a systematic review of 1999 articles in SCOPUS database, this study uses content analysis to identify key themes in PBL-STEM. The findings indicate that the construction of student-centered PBL curriculum, the development of innovative teaching models, and interdisciplinary integration are central to the evaluation of PBL-STEM. Moreover, the integration of emerging technologies and multi-disciplinary approaches enhances STEM competency to cultivate 21st-century skills. PBL-STEM emphasize students’ higher-order abilities, positioning it as a strategic reform for future society. This study reveals the importance of curriculum innovation, instructional reform, evaluation mechanisms, and the professionalization of STEM educators are fundamental with the rapid technological advancement.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

EduLearn

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Education Library & Information Science Social Sciences Other

Description

Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn) ISSN: 2089-9823, e-ISSN 2302-9277 is a multi-disciplinary, peer-refereed open-access international journal which has been established for the dissemination of state-of-the-art knowledge in the field of education, teaching, development, instruction, ...