Scientific research output on quality education (SDG4): A Bibliometric Study

Abstract

Education quality (SDG 4) is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. SDG 4 aims to provide inclusive and equitable quality education and advance opportunities for lifelong learning for everyone. The present study uses bibliometric analysis to explore existing scientific research on education quality that directly connects to SDG 4. The 195 scientific research articles published from 2015 to 2022 were investigated for temporal development, scientific collaboration, existing research focus and gaps. Interdisciplinary journals such as Sustainability is found to be dominant sources. Open-access journals make a dominant footprint and the majority of author collaborations are found among authors from countries such as UK, Spain, and USA. In contrast, the research connections among authors from Global South are observed to be weak. However, a significant evolution of scientific research is observed in connection to SDG 4 with increasing studies on higher education and e-learning. This paper significantly contributes to tracking the progress in scientific research related to SDG 4 and highlights the hotspots where more collaboration between scientific communities and policymakers is required.