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Abstract
In the 21st century educational landscape, problem-solving has emerged as a fundamental competency across disciplines. Problem-based learning (PBL), rooted in constructivist pedagogy, has gained considerable attention for its potential to enhance students’ cognitive engagement and practical application of knowledge. This study aims to comprehensively examine the effects of PBL on cross-disciplinary problem-solving skills, particularly in mathematics and other fields, through an in-depth meta-analysis and bibliometric visualization. The study employs a combined design of meta-analytic and bibliometric methods. The inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis are as follows: (1) relevant topic; (2) articles must be published in reputable indexed scientific journals; (3) provide effect size in the form of t-test, r, or F statistics; (4) minimum N of 20; (5) articles must be written in an internationally recognized language, namely English; and (6) published between 2012 and 2025. Articles were obtained from reputable databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, and Google Scholar. This study used the JASP application for meta-analysis and the Publish or Perish and VOSviewer applications for bibliometric analysis. The findings indicate that: (1) bibliometric visualization highlights problem-solving, critical thinking, and self-efficacy as the main focuses influenced by learning context, teaching strategies, cognitive styles, and STEM approaches, which together form a complex interconnection in enhancing student learning achievement; and (2) research data were proven to be heterogeneous with a large effect size category and no indication of publication bias, indicating that the results of PBL interventions consistently have a strong impact on problem-solving skills. Therefore, the implementation of PBL is highly recommended as an effective strategy to significantly enhance students’ problem-solving skills. This study uniquely combines meta-analysis and bibliometric mapping to provide a comprehensive cross-disciplinary evaluation of PBL’s impact on problem-solving skills. This study provides strong empirical support for the effectiveness of PBL in enhancing students’ problem-solving skills across disciplines, offering practical insights for educators and guiding future educational research and policy.
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Article Type: Review Article
EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 21, Issue 11, November 2025, Article No: em2732
https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/17345
Publication date: 01 Nov 2025
Online publication date: 27 Oct 2025
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