Authentic assessment for NoST in secondary science: A systematic literature network analysis

Traditional assessment methods are often considered inadequate for evaluating Nature of Science and Technology (NoST) understanding, as they tend to reduce complex epistemological concepts to factual recall. Conversely, authentic assessment (AA) shows significant potential but lacks thorough evaluation. This study employs a systematic literature network analysis (SLNA) approach, integrating systematic review with bibliometric analysis to examine AA's effectiveness in enhancing NoST understanding in secondary science education. A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines searched Scopus (2015-2025) using the PICO framework to compare AA with conventional methods. Bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer examined 1700 keywords from 384 articles to identify thematic clusters and research development patterns. Results from 16 high-quality studies with 2500 participants demonstrated a substantial beneficial effect size for AA (g = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.53-0.83), equivalent to approximately 25% improvement in NoST comprehension. Bibliometric analysis identified nine thematic clusters, with performance assessment emerging as the dominant AA design. The 95% consistency between systematic review findings and bibliometric patterns reinforces the reliability of results. Temporal analysis reveals a research transition from fundamental to innovation phases, emphasizing technology-enhanced assessment. Teacher training programs exceeding 20 hours were identified as significant predictors of success in measuring and enhancing NoST comprehension. SLNA provides substantial evidence that AA is more effective in enhancing NoST understanding and offers an innovative methodology for synthesizing educational research. These findings can serve as a foundation for evidence-based policy recommendations and guidelines, informing future research priorities in science education assessment.