A New Insight – 3D Printers and Their Instructional Use: A Content Analysis

In the current research, it is aimed to determine the current situation of the studies about the 3D printers in the literature and the status of the 3D printers in terms of educational utilization. The content analysis method was used in the study. According to the findings, it can be said that there is a progress in the positive direction from 2003 to 2017, in the studies carried out on the 3D printers. When studies on 3D printers are examined, it is noteworthy that many studies have been carried out especially in the field of health, medicine and engineering. When examining the work carried out on the 3D printers' utilization in the field of education in the WoS and ERIC databases, it has been seen that many studies are particularly oriented towards the development of material, environment or a product. In addition, very little of the studies have examined the instructional effects of 3D printers.