An overview of studies in environmental education: bibliometric analysis over the last decade

BackgroundEnvironmental education (EE) has gained growing attention in recent years, with numerous studies exploring its theoretical and practical dimensions. However, there remains a lack of comprehensive bibliometric analyses that systematically examine and suggest potential future research trends, collaboration patterns, and thematic developments in EE.PurposeThis study aims to map and analyze the evolution of research in this area between 2012 and 2022.MethodWe searched articles in the Web of Science (WoS) database and identified 2329 studies that met the inclusion criteria. VOSviewer software was preferred, and bibliometric analysis was used to examine selected parameters in this review.ResultsThe most used keywords were environmental education, sustainability, and climate change. Early childhood education in EE research has gained the most popularity recently. One important finding was that the EE studies were performed in out-of-school environments. The USA, Australia, Canada, England, and Sweden were among the top-producing countries in EE studies. Co-authorship networks in the EE articles emerged between the USA and Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Sweden, and T & uuml;rkiye. Cyprus, Indonesia, and Russia were among the countries with the most negligible collaboration. Gericke, Kopnina, Ardoin, and Bogner were the most cited authors, and their works have significantly influenced the field, shaping the direction of future research. Environmental Education Research was the most cited journal for the EE research review, and its influence on the field is evident from the most cited articles, which were on ecosystem science, climate change, and sustainable development. In the last decade, most EE articles were published in 2019.ConclusionThe results highlight key areas of focus and emerging directions for future research in EE.

Dergi

RESEARCH IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION

Yıl

2026

ISSN

0263-5143

eISSN

1470-1138

DOI

10.1080/02635143.2026.2646975

WoS UID

WOS:001719292300001