Exploring makerspaces as transformative learning hubs: A narrative review study

Abstract

Makerspaces have emerged globally as transformative environments that blend creativity, technology, and collaboration to cultivate twenty-first-century skills. While their potential in education is widely recognised, research remains fragmented across dimensions such as spatial design, pedagogical activities, inclusion strategies, theoretical underpinnings, and future directions. This fragmentation presents a challenge for scholars and practitioners seeking a holistic understanding of how makerspaces function as learning ecologies. The purpose of this study was therefore to conduct a narrative review to critically synthesise current evidence on makerspaces in formal, informal, and community contexts. Guided by a qualitative thematic analysis, peer-reviewed works published between 2018 and 2025 were systematically identified, screened, and coded according to five analytical dimensions: layout, activities, strategies, learning theories, and emerging trends. The findings reveal that makerspace layouts serve as pedagogical designs shaping collaboration and visibility; activities act as catalysts for both technical competence and socioemotional development; strategies such as recognition, co-design, and sustainability prompts scaffold inclusion; theoretical perspectives extend constructionism through multimodal literacies, capability approaches, and ecosystemic frameworks; and future trends highlight digitalisation, sustainability integration, and innovation ecosystems. Collectively, these insights position makerspaces as ecosystemic hubs that connect education, innovation, and global citizenship. The study concludes that makerspaces are evolving beyond tool-centric spaces into inclusive and sustainability-driven infrastructures for transformative learning, though further longitudinal, cross-cultural, and policy-focused research is required to strengthen evidence of their long-term impact.