Mapping the Intellectual Structure and Emerging Themes of Education 5.0: A Bibliometric and Abstract-Based Thematic Analysis

Scientific mapping of multimodal communication research in higher education: Thematic trends, intellectual structure, and future directions

This study presents a systematic and scientific mapping of multimodal communication research conducted in higher education, examining the field’s thematic trends, intellectual structure, and future directions through combined bibliometric and content-based analysis, drawing on 63 peer-reviewed journal articles retrieved from Web of Science and Scopus published between 2016 and 2026. The selection process followed preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines, with studies screened against two eligibility criteria: situatedness in higher education and multimodal communication as a primary analytical focus. Frequency analysis was applied to annual publication trends, research methods, author keywords, journal distribution, and abstract vocabulary, while thematic classification organized the corpus into six clusters. Findings indicate a marked acceleration in publication output from 2022 onwards, with the period 2022-2025 accounting for 66.7% of all studies. Quantitative approaches constitute the largest methodological category (30.2%), followed by conceptual and theoretical works (28.6%) and qualitative studies (22.2%). Six thematic clusters were identified: language teaching and multimodal resources (38.1%), multimodal literacy and competence (20.6%), technology-enhanced multimodal learning (14.3%), classroom interaction and multimodal communication (14.3%), institutional and organizational communication (6.3%), and theoretical and methodological frameworks (6.3%). Abstract word analysis reveals a lexical shift from literacy- and theory-oriented vocabulary in the early period towards digital, interaction, and technology-centered terminology after 2021. Co-authorship analysis identifies a moderately collaborative field with an average of 2.78 authors per study. The future direction analysis revealed 34 research priorities under six thematic clusters, with theoretical/methodological development, multimodal assessment in higher education, and technology-enhanced learning being highlighted as the most prominent areas for future research. The findings collectively suggest that the field is transitioning from theoretical consolidation towards applied, empirically driven, and technology-informed inquiry, with institutional communication and artificial intelligence-mediated multimodal learning emerging as underexplored directions for future research.

Bibliometric and Science Mapping Analysis of Research on Social Studies Education for Students with Special Needs (2000-2024)

Introduction: Social studies education for students with special needs has become an increasingly important field of research as inclusive education advances. However, the temporal development of scientific production, prominent actors, and collaboration structures in this field have not been investigated comprehensively. This study aims to reveal the structural and trend-related characteristics of the field by analyzing the bibliometric properties of research published in this domain.Method: This study was a review based on bibliometric analysis. Publications indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection and published between 2000 and 2024 were included in the analysis. The literature search was conducted on March 19, 2025. Bibliometric analyses were carried out using the Bibliometrix package and VOSviewer software. Publication and citation trends, as well as country, institution, and author productivity and collaboration networks, were examined.Findings: The findings indicate a significant increase in publications over the past decade and reveal that scientific output is concentrated within a relatively small set of countries, institutions, and authors. Collaboration networks among authors and countries display a structure organized around central cores.Discussion: The results suggest that knowledge production in the field has not yet reached a fully integrated structure. Increasing international and interdisciplinary collaboration, encouraging research conducted across diverse educational contexts, and diversifying studies focused on inclusive social studies education are identified as key strategies to enhance the field’s scientific visibility and impact.

Mapping Thematic Structures in Higher Education: A Bibliometric–Thematic Analysis of High-Impact Journals

The study aims to identify thematic lines for a research journal in Higher Education. Methodologically, a qualitative–analytical documentary study was conducted, combining bibliometric analysis, thematic analysis, and comparison with international normative frameworks. The corpus consisted of 20 Q1 journals in the field of Education (Scimago Journal Rank). Based on the analysis of keywords, subject areas, and editorial scopes, dominant conceptual cores in current research were identified. The results were subsequently interpreted through expert judgment, aligned with UNESCO’s ISCED-F and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and externally validated by ten international specialists. As a result, eleven main thematic lines were identified that structure contemporary research in higher education, including: university quality and governance, curriculum design, competency-based education, learning assessment, faculty development, educational innovation and technologies, student experience and well-being, inclusion and equity, internationalization, social engagement, and academic integrity. The study concludes that the delimitation of thematic lines based on bibliometric evidence and expert validation constitutes a robust and replicable editorial strategy that strengthens the scientific identity of journals, improves their international positioning, and strategically guides research agendas in Higher Education.

The Intellectual Structure and Emerging Research Frontiers of Mathematical Reasoning in Cognitive Processes: A Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Literature Review

Purpose – Mathematical reasoning has become a central focus of mathematics education research; however, existing evidence remains fragmented across cognitive, pedagogical, affective, and representational perspectives. Previous reviews have rarely integrated bibliometric mapping with systematic evidence synthesis to explain the intellectual development of this field. This study aims to examine the intellectual structure, thematic evolution, and emerging research frontiers of mathematical reasoning in cognitive processes. Methodology – This study employed a mixed-review design integrating bibliometric analysis and a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). Bibliographic data were retrieved from the Scopus database and selected using the PRISMA 2020 framework, resulting in 334 eligible journal articles. Bibliometric mapping was conducted using VOSviewer to analyse publication trends, country productivity, author collaboration, keyword co-occurrence, and density visualization, while qualitative synthesis was used to interpret thematic development and identify research gaps. Findings – The results reveal three major findings. First, scientific production has increased markedly since 2018, reflecting growing international interest in mathematical reasoning within cognitive processes. Second, mathematical reasoning functions as the intellectual hub linking cognitive, pedagogical, linguistic, semiotic, and affective perspectives. Third, affective constructs, particularly motivation and self-efficacy, remain underrepresented, highlighting important opportunities for future interdisciplinary research. Novelty – This study provides the first integrated synthesis combining bibliometric analysis and PRISMA-guided SLR to map the intellectual structure, thematic evolution, and research frontiers of mathematical reasoning in cognitive processes. Significance – The findings offer an evidence-based foundation for researchers, curriculum developers, and mathematics educators to develop more comprehensive theoretical models and interdisciplinary research agendas that integrate cognitive, affective, and instructional dimensions of mathematical reasoning.

Knowledge Mapping of Digital Ethics in Education: A Bibliometric and Science Mapping Analysis

Although digital ethics has become increasingly important in education, systematic evidence on its global research structure and thematic development remains limited. This study aims to map global research on digital ethics in education from 2015 to 2025 using bibliometric analysis and science mapping techniques. Data were retrieved from Scopus, yielding 782 documents published in 466 sources and involving 3,993 authors. The analysis was conducted using Bibliometrix and VOSviewer to examine publication trends, citation impact, collaboration networks, keyword co-occurrence, co-citation patterns, thematic mapping, and thematic evolution. The findings reveal rapid growth in publication output and interdisciplinary collaboration, indicating the expanding scholarly relevance of digital ethics in educational research. Core keywords, including ethics, education, higher education, and female, form the intellectual backbone of the field. Network, overlay, and density visualizations show a thematic shift from methodological and COVID-19-related topics toward emerging issues such as digital literacy, AI literacy, generative AI, academic integrity, equity, and curricula. High research density remains concentrated around ethics and education, whereas AI-related themes are still comparatively underexplored. These findings highlight opportunities for future research on ethical AI literacy, AI governance, and responsible AI integration in educational curricula. This study contributes a comprehensive knowledge map by identifying leading actors, thematic domains, and research gaps, offering practical guidance for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to promote ethical, equitable, and accountable digital transformation in education.

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