Task-based language teaching: Global research trends and thematic developments from a bibliometric and systematic perspective

Mapping the intellectual landscape of assessment literacy in academic writing: A bibliometric review of Scopus publications (1997–2025)

Bibliometric studies have become an important approach for understanding the development and structure of research fields; however, global investigations focusing specifically on assessment literacy in academic writing remain limited. This study aims to map publication trends, collaboration patterns, influential sources, and thematic structures in research on assessment literacy related to academic writing through a bibliometric analysis. Data were retrieved from the Scopus database using the search query TITLE-ABS-KEY (“assessment literacy” AND “academic writing”), covering publications from 1997 to 2025 without restrictions on document type or discipline. A total of 176 documents were analysed using VOSviewer and Microsoft Excel to examine annual publication growth, source journals, subject areas, countries, institutions, author collaboration networks, and keyword co-occurrence patterns. The findings reveal a significant increase in publications after 2011, indicating a paradigm shift from summative assessment toward formative, reflective, and feedback-oriented approaches in academic writing. Research output is dominated by institutions and authors from the United Kingdom, the United States, and China, with Assessing Writing and Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education emerging as key publication venues. Keyword analysis identifies four dominant thematic clusters: formative feedback and peer assessment, academic writing pedagogy and literacy development, assessment tools and rubrics, and issues of identity, equity, and institutional power. In contrast, themes related to digital literacy, automated feedback, and AI-based assessment remain weakly represented, indicating important research gaps. This study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive global overview of assessment literacy research in academic writing and highlighting emerging directions for future studies. The findings offer strategic insights for researchers, educators, and policymakers in developing contextualized, technology-responsive assessment models aligned with the demands of 21st-century higher education.

Global research landscape of transformative learning in pre-service teacher education: A Scopus-based bibliometric and science-mapping analysis

Background Transformative learning explains changes in pre-service teachers’ frames of reference, yet previous mapping studies have examined the theory broadly, within higher education, or in specific domains such as sustainability. This study maps the development, contributors, intellectual and conceptual structures, and thematic evolution of transformative learning research in pre-service teacher education. Methods Data were retrieved from Scopus on 29 July 2026 without restrictions on publication year or language. The search identified 237 documents; after excluding non-article records and ineligible articles, 112 journal articles were analysed. Performance analysis used Bibliometrix/Biblioshiny, while keyword co-occurrence and author co-citation networks were constructed with VOSviewer. Author, institution, country, and keyword metadata were normalised before analysis. Results The corpus comprised 112 articles published between 2001 and 2026 across 74 sources and authored by 246 researchers. Annual growth reached 8.67%, while international collaboration accounted for 13.39% of articles. The Journal of Transformative Education was the most productive source; Katrina Liu had the highest citation impact; and Queensland University of Technology was the most productive institution. The conceptual structure centred on transformative learning, teacher education, pre-service teachers, and critical reflection. Mezirow continued to dominate the intellectual structure, while recent themes shifted towards culturally responsive pedagogy, sustainability, online learning, assessment, and pedagogical competence. Data for 2026 include only publications indexed up to 29 July. Conclusions The field has grown more consistently since 2020, although productivity and collaboration remain dispersed. Mezirow’s theoretical foundation persists, while its application in pre-service teacher education increasingly connects professional identity, field experiences, diversity, and sustainability. Longitudinal, comparative, and non-Western studies are needed to determine whether perspective changes endure in teaching practice.

Mapping scopus-indexed research on professional development in education: a bibliometric analysis (1994–2026)

English Subject As An EMI Support Ecosystem: A Bibliometric Synthesis Of EAP, Academic Literacy, and Classroom Discourse Within EMI Studies

English-medium instruction (EMI) has expanded rapidly as part of the internationalization of higher education, yet its effectiveness depends on sustained language support and classroom practices that enable meaningful academic participation. This study maps the research landscape of EMI and synthesizes the role of English subject as an EMI support ecosystem through three domains: EAP or academic language, academic literacy, and classroom discourse. Bibliographic data were retrieved from Scopus using the query TITLE-ABS-KEY (English-medium instruction for English subject), with limits on publication year, subject area (ARTS), document type (article), and language (English). The final dataset comprised 139 articles indexed in Scopus for 2015-2025. The analysis combined descriptive bibliometric indicators, citation-oriented reading, normalized author-keyword frequency, and keyword co-occurrence mapping using VOSviewer (density, network, and overlay visualizations). The results show sharp publication growth after 2021, peaking in 2025, with International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism and System as the leading publication venues. EMI appears as the central thematic node, while translanguaging emerges as a major and relatively recent hotspot. Related terms such as assessment, vocabulary, English proficiency, and classroom interaction indicate that pedagogical support is integral to EMI research. The synthesis suggests that English subject can function as a strategic support infrastructure by strengthening academic language, genre-based academic literacy, and interactional competence while accommodating multilingual scaffolding. These findings offer a bibliometric basis for designing more effective and equitable EMI support.

From STEM Literacy to Competence: Trends in STEM Education Using Scopus Data

This systematic review employs a bibliometric approach to examine the evolution of STEM literacy research and the conceptual shift toward STEM competence. Based on an analysis of 175 peer-reviewed documents indexed in 83 journals, 70 conference proceedings, 13 books, and 9 book series in Scopus (2007 – June 2024), the study identifies publication trends, influential works, and the intellectual structure of the field using VOSviewer. The review analyzes the scale, trajectory, and geographical distribution of research, highlighting prominent scholars and thematic development. Since 2007, the field has shown substantial theoretical advancement along with increasing gender and regional diversity. Keyword co-occurrence (co-word) analysis identifies the foundational literature and nine keyword clusters, grouped into four overarching themes: the structure of STEM literacy, target populations, instructional approaches, and driving factors. Thematic clusters emphasize pedagogy and equity. While a bibliometric review confirms a persistent conceptual ambiguity and assessment gap in STEM education, this paper addresses this gap by proposing a novel, multi-dimensional framework for STEM competence. Grounded in international best practices and designed for practical classroom application, this framework provides the specific, observable behavioral indicators needed to align integrated curriculum goals with authentic assessment.

Metaverse technologies in education: global research trends and themes (2020–2025)