Trends in English Language Teaching Research among Thai Scholars: A Bibliometric Analysis of Scopus-Indexed Publications from 2010 to 2024

Abstract

This bibliometric study reveals the dominant research topics, methodologies, contexts, and publication outlets utilized by researchers in the field of English Language Teaching (ELT) in Thailand from 2010 to 2024. Bibliometric analysis was conducted using Microsoft Excel 2019 and VOSviewer 1.6.19 as research tools. The dataset was retrieved from 428 documents indexed in the SCOPUS database. The findings revealed that in addition to English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English Language Teaching (ELT), the popular researched keywords include English for Specific Purposes (ESP), global Englishes, perceptions, English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), Covid-19, and Conversation Analysis (CA). The predominant research methodologies employed were qualitative and mixed-methods. The primary context of the study was higher education, followed by secondary and primary education. The top three publication outlets were LEARN Journal, rEFLections, and 3L: Language, Linguistics, Literature. These findings offer insights into the prevalent themes, methodologies, contexts, and publication outlets in the ELT research landscape in Thailand, providing essential information for educators, researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders in the ELT community.