Emerging trends in educational research methodology: A bibliometric perspective

Abstract

Background/purpose.   Educational research methodology has experienced rapid development in response to digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI), and the increasing demand for evidence-based educational research. Recent educational studies demonstrate a growing tendency toward review-based and technology-supported research approaches. Therefore, this study aims to analyze publication trends, influential publications, thematic structures, and emerging trends in Educational Research Methodology during the period 2020–2026 using a bibliometric perspective.

Materials/methods.   This study employed a bibliometric research design using a quantitative descriptive approach. Data were collected from Google Scholar through the Publish or Perish (PoP) application using several methodology-related keywords. A total of 500 publications were initially retrieved, and all publications were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and VOSviewer software for citation analysis, co-occurrence mapping, network visualization, overlay visualization, and density visualization.

Results. The findings indicate a substantial increase in publications related to Educational Research Methodology, with the highest publication frequency recorded in 2025 (170 publications; 34.00%) and the lowest in 2020 (12 publications; 2.40%). Citation and visualization analyses reveal that bibliometric analysis, systematic literature review (SLR), PRISMA, and meta-analysis became the most dominant methodological approaches in recent educational research. Furthermore, terms related to artificial intelligence, STEM education, teaching, and learning emerged as increasingly interconnected research themes within educational methodology studies.

Conclusion.   Educational research methodology is evolving toward more systematic, evidence-based, interdisciplinary, and technology-assisted research approaches. The dominance of bibliometric and systematic review methodologies indicates a substantial methodological transformation within educational research in the digital and AI era.