Green chemistry in chemistry education: A systematic literature and bibliometric analysis of trends, impacts, and future directions

Abstract

Green Chemistry has emerged as an important paradigm for promoting sustainability and environmental responsibility in chemical practices. In recent years, its integration into chemistry education has attracted increasing scholarly attention. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the development of Green Chemistry research in chemistry education by combining a systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis. Articles were retrieved from the Scopus database using the query “Green Chemistry” AND “Chemistry Education” for the period 2006–2025. After applying PRISMA screening and eligibility criteria, 107 peer-reviewed journal articles were included in the final analysis. The results reveal a significant increase in research activity, particularly after 2019, indicating the growing global emphasis on sustainability-oriented chemistry education. The geographical distribution shows that research output is dominated by developed countries such as the United States, Germany, and Canada, although emerging contributions from developing regions, including Indonesia, are increasingly visible. Collaboration analysis further indicates that international research networks are structured around several highly connected countries that function as major hubs for knowledge exchange. Keyword analysis identifies dominant thematic areas including sustainability-oriented learning, curriculum innovation, student-centered pedagogies, and systems thinking. The reviewed studies also demonstrate important theoretical and pedagogical contributions through sustainable laboratory practices, microscale experiments, inquiry-based learning, and problem-based learning. These approaches contribute to improving students’ sustainability literacy, critical thinking skills, and environmental awareness. The findings provide important implications for curriculum development and sustainability-oriented chemistry teaching. Future research should focus on large-scale implementation, teacher professional development, and the development of innovative sustainability-oriented learning resources.