Mapping adaptive learning research related to sustainable development goals awareness: A bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Adaptive learning in education aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has continued to expand in line with the global 2030 agenda. At the same time, SDGs awareness has become an important indicator for measuring the achievement of sustainability-oriented education. However, the intellectual structure, publication trends, and thematic evolution of studies linking adaptive learning with SDGs awareness remain insufficiently mapped. This study aims to analyze publication trends, leading contributors, dominant themes, and the future research directions in this field. Data were retrieved from the Scopus database covering the 2016–2025 period and analyzed using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach with the PRISMA protocol. A total of 89 articles were examined using bibliometric mapping techniques, including keyword co-occurrence and thematic evolution analysis. A total of 89 articles were examined using bibliometric mapping techniques, including keyword co-occurrence and thematic evolution analysis. The results show a significant increase in publications over time. Three major thematic clusters were identified: education and sustainability, technology based personalization, and AI-driven adaptive learning systems. Based on thematic mapping, AI and personalized learning emerge as central (motor) themes, while SDGs awareness appears less prominently in keyword co-occurrence networks. Thematic evolution analysis and overlay visualization further reveals a thematic transition from sustainability-oriented pedagogical approaches toward AI-based adaptive learning systems. These findings demonstrate that research development is increasingly driven by technological innovation, while the explicit integration of SDGs awareness and sustainability competencies remains limited. This study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive mapping of the field and identifying the need for future research that integrates AI-driven personalization with measurable sustainability-oriented learning outcomes.