Implementation of PjBL-field study to improve science process skills and environmental awareness: A review

Abstract

Science education continues to face persistent challenges due to the limited application of contextual instructional approaches and insufficient integration with students’ real-life experiences. This study employed a Systematic Literature Review guided by the PRISMA framework. Data were retrieved from the Scopus database using Publish or Perish with five query combinations, yielding 134 records after duplicate removal, of which 19 met the criteria for in-depth synthesis. Bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer was conducted to map research trends and thematic relationships. Across the included studies, Project-Based Learning (PjBL) was the more frequently represented approach and was commonly associated with reported gains in Science Process Skills (SPS), whereas outdoor or field-based learning was associated with contextual engagement and environmental-awareness outcomes. However, the evidence base was heterogeneous in research design, participants, and outcomes, and most studies examined these strands separately. The bibliometric maps likewise indicated limited thematic proximity between PjBL and outdoor learning, while SPS did not emerge as a dominant keyword. Accordingly, this review does not estimate pooled causal effectiveness; instead, it identifies a fragmented evidence base and a design opportunity to investigate PjBL-field study integration supported by digital scaffolds such as E-LKPD, particularly in biodiversity learning. This proposition requires empirical validation.