2015-2025년 국내 메타버스 기반 진로교육 연구동향: 토픽모델링과 체계적 문헌고찰

Trends in Metaverse-Based Career Education Research in Korea (2015–2025): A Topic Modeling and Systematic Literature Review

본 연구는 2015년부터 2025년 7월까지 국내 학술지에 게재된 메타버스 기반 진로교육 관련 논문 45편을 대상으로, LDA 토픽모델링과 체계적 문헌분석을 통해 연구동향을 종합적으로 분석하였다. 분석 결과, 관련 연구는 2021년 이후 급격히 증가하여 2024년에 정점을 기록하였으며, 연구대상은 청소년이 가장 많았고 초등·중등·대학생 등으로 점차 확장되는 경향을 보였다. 연구방법은 효과성 검증 연구가 가장 큰 비중을 차지하였고, 토픽모델링 결과 ‘창의적 진로 역량 개발’, ‘메타버스 기반 학습환경 운영’, ‘학습자의 진로 인식 및 태도 변화’, ‘실천적 진로체험과 효과’의 네 가지 핵심 주제가 도출되었다. 본 연구는 최근 10년간의 연구동향을 체계적으로 제시함으로써 향후 메타버스 기반 진로교육 프로그램 개발과 정책 수립을 위한 실증적 근거를 제공한다.

This study systematically examined the evolution and characteristics of metaverse-based career education research in Korea by analyzing 45 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2015 and July 2025. Employing Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling and a systematic literature review, the study identified major developmental patterns and thematic structures. The findings reveal that research activity increased sharply after 2021 and peaked in 2024, while research subjects expanded from adolescents to elementary, secondary, and university learners, reflecting a diversification of educational contexts. Effectiveness-oriented quantitative studies predominated, indicating a growing emphasis on the empirical verification of learning outcomes. Topic modeling extracted four interrelated themes: (1) creative career competency development, (2) operation of metaverse-based learning environments, (3) learners’ perceptions and the effectiveness of career education, and (4) participation in and outcomes of experiential career learning. Together, these themes illustrate how metaverse-based career education in Korea is transitioning from isolated technological applications to an integrated, learner-centered educational ecosystem. The study offers several implications. Practically, it highlights the need to establish a national K–12 metaverse career education platform, enhance teachers’ professional capacity and curriculum design competencies, and develop sustainable digital infrastructures at the school level. Theoretically, the results demonstrate that metaverse-based career education aligns closely with established frameworks such as Super’s career development theory, Bandura’s social cognitive career theory, Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory, and Lave and Wenger’s situated learning theory. However, this study is limited by its reliance on abstract-level data, focus on Korean journals, and limited consideration of industry-driven practices. Future research should incorporate full-text and mixed-method analyses, conduct cross-national comparisons, and strengthen collaboration between academia and industry to enhance the sustainability and practical applicability of metaverse-based career education.