Exploring Trends in Game-Based Physics Education: A Bibliometric Study From 1973 to 2023

Games are widely used to increase students' interest and participation in physics lessons. We need an in-depth analysis of the consistency of this study. This study aims to analyze research trends in the use of games in physics education using a bibliometric approach. Data were retrieved from the Scopus database using the keywords "play" and "physical education". Among the 125 articles obtained based on the search criteria, a trend analysis of the study was conducted using RStudio and VosViewer software. The analysis shows that publications on this topic have increased significantly since the early 2000s, from 1973 to 2023. Researchers from the USA and Europe dominated the publication. Nevertheless, the countries of Asia and Australia also started to contribute significantly. Intercontinental cooperation is important to provide a broader perspective. The main magazine that publishes articles on this topic is "Computer and Education". The most cited articles focus mainly on the effects of games on students' learning of physics. They identified five main keyword clusters that represent different ways of using games in physics education. Overall, this study provides an in-depth understanding of research trends and key findings related to the use of games in physics education. Further research is recommended on game design, technology integration, and implementation strategies to maximize the benefits of play to improve the quality of instruction and student physical education achievement.