Student engagement in constructing computer models in K-12 science education: a systematic review

Constructing and using computational models is a common scientific practice, and several learning environments have been developed to facilitate students’ engagement in building, evaluating, and modifying computational models. This systematic review aims at identifying the main trends in the research of implementations of this practice in K-12 science classrooms. Fifty-three studies published between 1998 and 2025 met the selection criteria. The review of these studies indicates a substantial increase in publications on the topic in recent years. Most of the reviewed studies, were conducted in physics and biology disciplinary contexts, and focused on agent-based models. With the proliferation of block-based programming environments, the review examines the differences in implementing model construction in computational environments with and without programming elements. Finally, this review addresses the affordances and challenges of model construction for fostering modelling competence, domain content knowledge, and computational thinking.