The Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction or ARCS model is an effective motivational model that has been widely accepted by education practitioners. Literature on the ARCS model has focused primarily on aspects of educational settings, research methods, and outcomes. However, few studies have addressed the applications of the ARCS model based on its role in educational research. This review study investigates what and how the ARCS model has been adopted in existing literature from 2011 to 2022. 55 empirical studies were identified and analyzed in three dimensions: instructional design, theoretical foundation, and measurement tools. The instructional design sums up pedagogical approaches, learning outcomes, and effects of the ARCS model. The theoretical framework outlines the roles and other theoretical frameworks integrated with the ARCS model. The measurement tools report versions and reliability of the Instruction Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS). This study contributes to strengthening our understanding of the ARCS model applied in the three dimensions. Lastly, a set of limitations and recommendations for future research are summarized.