International Science Education Research by Mainland China-Affiliated Scholars, 2001–2024: a Bibliometric Review of Publication Trends, Citation Impact, and Thematic Evolution

The globalization of science education has increased the need to understand how research communities in diverse linguistic and educational contexts contribute to international scholarship. This study examines the development of international science education research by mainland China-affiliated scholars from 2001 to 2024. Using metadata from 559 Web of Science-indexed articles and the bibliometrix R package, the study analyzed publication trends, citation impact, journal sources, international collaboration, and thematic evolution. Findings identified three broad phases of development: fluctuating growth from 2001 to 2017, steady growth from 2018 to 2022, and rapid growth from 2023 to 2024. Across these phases, recurring and emerging themes included scientific creativity, scientific inquiry, STEM education, technology-supported learning, assessment, and higher-order thinking. Findings provide insight into how international science education research by mainland China-affiliated scholars has developed within English-mediated global knowledge networks and may inform future studies of science education research in other expanding-circle contexts.