Visualizing Mathematics Learning: A Science Mapping of Augmented Reality and Immersive Learning Technologies in Mathematics Education
Keywords:
augmented reality; virtual reality; immersive learning; STEM education; bibliometric analysis; visualization technologies; Scopus; thematic evolution; science mappingAbstract
Recent developments in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and immersion visualization technologies have created increased interest in their potential to mitigate ongoing challenges faced by mathematics education, especially those related to abstraction, visualization and learner motivation. Despite the growing number of research studies, there remains a lack of understanding of how immersive technologies have shaped mathematics education. This study provides a broad bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed (n = 408) publications for 2002–2025 examining augmented and immersive learning technologies in mathematics education. Using citation analysis, document co-citation analysis, co-word analysis, trend topic analysis and three-field plotting via VOSviewer and Biblioshiny, the study charts the field’s intellectual landscape, thematic evolution and emerging research frontiers. Recent literature published across almost 3 years indicated a rapidly expanding area of research, with contributions being built on earlier work on basic frameworks for AR and learning applications, predominantly from mathematics. The collective citation and co-word analysis identified four prominent thematic clusters, namely (1) augmented reality applications and mathematics learning processes, (2) STEM integration and technology-enhanced science and mathematics education, (3) immersive and intelligent learning environments, and (4) virtual reality, e-learning, and educational foundations. Trend analyses, in addition, also show a progressive transition from early visualization and computer-aided instructions to more immersive, learner-centered and interdisciplinary STEM research. The study provides a novel mapping of the evolution in bibliometric terms, analogous to the spread of technological novelty to pedagogical efficacy. These outcomes point to mathematics education policies that integrate and implement immersive tools for geometry and lifelong curricula, and scalable implementations or necessary cognitive scaffolds.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.25.4.38
References
Abrahamson, D., & Bakker, A. (2016). Making sense of movement in embodied design for mathematics learning. Cognitive Research Principles and Implications, 1(1), 33. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-016-0034-3
Abrahamson, D., Nathan, M. J., Williams-Pierce, C., Walkington, C., Ottmar, E. R., Soto, H., & Alibali, M. W. (2020). The future of Embodied Design for Mathematics Teaching and learning. Frontiers in Education, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.00147
Ahmad, F. a. R. O. B. (2021). The effect of augmented reality in improving visual thinking in mathematics of 10th-Grade students in Jordan. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 12(5). https://doi.org/10.14569/ijacsa.2021.0120543
Ahmad, N. I. N., & Junaini, S. N. (2020). Augmented Reality for Learning Mathematics: A Systematic Literature Review. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 15(16), 106. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v15i16.14961
Akçay?r, M., & Akçay?r, G. (2017). Advantages and challenges associated with augmented reality for education: A systematic review of the literature. Educational Research Review, 20, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2016.11.002
Alibali, M. W., & Nathan, M. J. (2012). Embodiment in mathematics teaching and learning: Evidence from learners’ and teachers’ gestures. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 21(2), 247–286. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508406.2011.611446
Arcavi, A. (2003). The role of visual representations in the learning of mathematics. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 52(3), 215–241. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024312321077
Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2017). bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of Informetrics, 11(4), 959–975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2017.08.007
Arican, M., & Özçakir, B. (2020). Facilitating the development of Preservice teachers’ proportional reasoning in geometric similarity problems using augmented reality activities. Education and Information Technologies, 26(2), 2327–2353. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-020-10359-1
Azuma, R. T. (1997). A survey of augmented reality. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 6(4), 355–385. https://doi.org/10.1162/pres.1997.6.4.355
Azuma, R. T., Baillot, Y., Behringer, R., Feiner, S., Julier, S., & MacIntyre, B. (2001). Recent advances in augmented reality. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 21(6), 34–47. https://doi.org/10.1109/38.963459
Bacca, J., Baldiris, S., Fabregat, R., & Graf, S. (2014). Augmented reality trends in education: A systematic review of research and applications. Educational Technology & Society, 17(4), 133–149.
Billinghurst, M., Clark, A., & Lee, G. (2014). A survey of augmented reality. Foundations and Trends® in Human–Computer Interaction, 8(2–3), 73–272. https://doi.org/10.1561/1100000049
Billinghurst, M., & Duenser, A. (2012). Augmented reality in the classroom. Computer. https://doi.org/10.1109/MC.2012.111
Biranvand, A., Samadbeik, M., & Khasseh, A. (2020). Mapping of knowledge structure in the field of health information management and Technology: A Co-Word analysis. Depiction of Health, 11(2), 117–136. https://doi.org/10.34172/doh.2020.13
Bornmann, L., & Leydesdorff, L. (2014). Scientometrics in a changing research landscape. EMBO Reports, 15(12), 1228–1232. https://doi.org/10.15252/embr.201439608
Bower, M., Howe, C., McCredie, N., Robinson, A., & Grover, D. (2014). Augmented reality in education – cases, places and potentials. Educational Media International, 51(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2014.889400
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Bujak, K. R., Radu, I., Catrambone, R., MacIntyre, B., Zheng, R., & Golubski, G. (2013). A psychological perspective on augmented reality in the mathematics classroom. Computers & Education, 68, 536–544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2013.02.017
Cai, S., Liu, E., Shen, Y., Liu, C., & Li, S. (2019). Probability learning in mathematics using augmented reality: Impact on students’ learning gains and attitudes. British Journal of Educational Technology, 50(3), 1025–1040. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2019.1696839
Cai, S., Liu, E., Shen, Y., Liu, C., Li, S., & Shen, Y. (2020). Probability learning in mathematics using augmented reality: impact on student’s learning gains and attitudes. Interactive Learning Environments, 28(5), 560–573. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2019.1696839
Callon, M., Courtial, J. P., Turner, W. A., & Bauin, S. (1983). From translations to problematic networks: An introduction to co-word analysis. Social Science Information, 22(2), 191–235. https://doi.org/10.1177/053901883022002003
Cascales-Martínez, A., Martínez-Segura, M.-J., Pérez-López, D., & Contero, M. (2017). Using an Augmented Reality Enhanced Tabletop System to Promote Learning of Mathematics: A Case Study with Students with Special Educational Needs. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 13(2), 355-380. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2017.00621a
Cen, L., Ruta, D., Al Qassem, L. M. M. S., & Ng, J. (2019). Augmented immersive reality (AIR) for improved learning performance: a quantitative evaluation. IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, 13(2), 283-296. https://doi.org/10.1109/TLT.2019.2937525
Cevikbas, M., Kaiser, G., & Schukajlow, S. (2024). Trends in mathematics education and insights from a meta-review and bibliometric analysis of review studies. ZDM, 56(2), 165–188. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-024-01587-7
Chen, Y.-C. (2019). Effect of mobile augmented reality on learning performance, motivation, and math anxiety. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 57(7), 1695–1722. https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633119854036
Dede, C. 2014. The Role of Digital Technologies in Deeper Learning. Students at the Center: Deeper Learning Research Series. Boston, MA: Jobs for the Future.
Demitriadou, E., Stavroulia, K., & Lanitis, A. (2019). Comparative evaluation of virtual and augmented reality for teaching mathematics in primary education. Education and Information Technologies, 25(1), 381–401. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-019-09973-5
Dunleavy, M., Dede, C., & Mitchell, R. (2009). Affordances and limitations of immersive participatory augmented reality simulations for teaching and learning. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 18(1), 7–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-008-9119-1
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070
Garzón, J., & Acevedo, J. (2019). Meta-analysis of the impact of Augmented Reality on students’ learning gains. Educational Research Review, 27, 244-260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2019.04.001
Ibáñez, M.-B., & Delgado-Kloos, C. (2018). Augmented reality for STEM learning: A systematic review. Computers & Education, 123, 109–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.05.002
Iqbal, M. Z., Mangina, E., & Campbell, A. G. (2022). Current challenges and future research Directions in Augmented Reality for education. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction, 6(9), 75. https://doi.org/10.3390/mti6090075
Johnson-Glenberg, M. C., Birchfield, D. A., Tolentino, L., & Koziupa, T. (2014). Collaborative embodied learning in mixed reality motion-capture environments: Two science studies. Journal of Educational Psychology, 106(1), 86–104. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034008
Kaufmann, H., Schmalstieg, D., & Wagner, M. (2000). Construct3D: a virtual reality application for mathematics and geometry education. Education and Information Technologies, 5(4), 263–276. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1012049406877
Kaufmann, H., & Schmalstieg, D. (2003). Mathematics and geometry education with collaborative augmented reality. Computers & Graphics, 27(3), 339–345. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0097-8493(03)00028-1
K?l?ç, M., & Uyar, A. (2022). Thematic structure of accounting research by co-word analysis. International Journal of Bibliometrics in Business and Management, 2(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijbbm.2022.122288
Lai, J. W., & Cheong, K. H. (2022). Adoption of virtual and augmented reality for mathematics education: A scoping review. IEEE Access, 10, 13693-13703.
Limniou, M., Downes, J. J., & Maskell, S. (2015). Datasets reflecting students’ and teachers’ views on the use of learning technology in a UK university. British Journal of Educational Technology, 46(5), 1081–1091. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12332
Makransky, G., & Petersen, G. B. (2021). The Cognitive Affective Model of Immersive Learning (CAMIL): a Theoretical Research-Based Model of Learning in Immersive Virtual Reality. Educational Psychology Review, 33(3), 937–958. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09586-2
Mongeon, P., & Paul-Hus, A. (2016). The journal coverage of Web of Science and Scopus. Scientometrics, 106(1), 213–228. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-015-1765-5
Mora, C. E., Martín-Gutiérrez, J., Añorbe-Díaz, B., & González-Marrero, A. (2017). Virtual Technologies Trends in education. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics Science and Technology Education, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2017.00626a
Parong, J., & Mayer, R. E. (2018). Learning science in immersive virtual reality. Journal of Educational Psychology, 110(6), 785–797. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000241
Petersen, G. B., Petkakis, G., & Makransky, G. (2022). A study of how immersion and interactivity drive VR learning. Computers & Education, 179, 104429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104429
Radianti, J., Majchrzak, T. A., Fromm, J., & Wohlgenannt, I. (2020). A systematic review of immersive virtual reality applications for higher education: Design elements, lessons learned, and research agenda. Computers & education, 147, 103778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103778
Ravikumar, S., Agrahari, A. & Singh, S.N. Mapping the intellectual structure of scientometrics: a co-word analysis of the journal Scientometrics (2005–2010). Scientometrics 102, 929–955 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-014-1402-8
Small, H. (1973). Co?citation in the scientific literature: A new measure of the relationship between two documents. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 24(4), 265–269. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.4630240406
Stylianou, D. A. (2010). Teachers’ conceptions of representation in middle school mathematics. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 13(4), 325–343. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10857-010-9143-y
Sinclair, N., Bussi, M. G. B., De Villiers, M., Jones, K., Kortenkamp, U., Leung, A., & Owens, K. (2016b). Recent research on geometry education: an ICME-13 survey team report. ZDM, 48(5), 691–719. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-016-0796-6
Wu, H., Lee, S. W., Chang, H., & Liang, J. (2013). Current status, opportunities and challenges of augmented reality in education. Computers & Education, 62, 41–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.10.024
Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523–538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3
Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2014). Visualizing bibliometric networks. In Y. Ding et al. (Eds.), Measuring scholarly impact (pp. 285–320). Springer.
Zupic, I., & ?ater, T. (2014). Bibliometric methods in management and organization. Organizational Research Methods, 18(3), 429–472. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428114562629
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Ilene DS. Bunag, Angelita R. Iglesia, Ronilo Palle Antonio, Louis Robert C. Sison
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
All articles published by IJLTER are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivatives 4.0 International License (CCBY-NC-ND4.0).
