Mapping Global Research Trends on Citizenship in Science and the Science-Technology-Society Approach for Developing Critical Thinking Skills: A Bibliometric Analysis Using VOSviewer

Abstract

This study aims to map research trends on citizenship in science and the science-technology-society approach in relation to the development of critical thinking skills over the past decade. The method used is bibliometric analysis with the help of VOSviewer software. Data were collected from the Scopus database using the keywords with a publication range of 2021–2025. Relevant articles were then analyzed to produce visualizations in the form of network visualization, overlay visualization, and density visualization. The analysis results show that the keyword critical thinking is the main and most dominant focus, with a close relationship to the terms critical thinking skill, effect, and relationship. Another prominent cluster is the integration of science, technology, and society and its connection to innovation and the environment. In addition, the keywords citizenship and education also emerged significantly, emphasizing the importance of integrating scientific citizenship in science education. The overlay visualization analysis reveals a shift in trends, with early research emphasizing critical thinking skills, while more recent publications focus on the integration of STS, citizenship, and contemporary issues such as the environment and innovation. These findings demonstrate that international literature not only positions critical thinking as a cognitive skill but also links it to social responsibility, civic literacy, and readiness to face global challenges. The implications of this research underscore the urgency of developing a learning model that integrates the citizenship in science framework with the STS approach to strengthen critical thinking skills and shape students as 21st-century scientific citizens.