Habits of Mind as a Catalyst for 21st Century Skills and Environmental Sustainability: A Bibliometric Analysis with a Focus on SDG 6 in Educational Research

Abstract

Habits of mind have increasingly been recognized as foundational dispositions for developing 21st-century skills and supporting sustainability-oriented education. This study presents a systematic literature review combined with bibliometric analysis to map the intellectual structure, research trends, and thematic evolution of habits of mind in educational research, with particular attention to sustainability and Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation). A Scopus-based dataset of peer-reviewed publications published between 2010 and 2025 was analyzed using co-authorship, co-citation, and keyword co-occurrence techniques implemented in VOSviewer. The analysis identifies dominant research clusters related to critical thinking, STEM education, teacher education, and sustainability-oriented learning, as well as leading authors, journals, and countries contributing to the field. While sustainability-related themes are increasingly visible, explicit connections between habits of mind and SDG 6 related educational issues remain limited and unevenly distributed, particularly in the Indonesian context. The findings highlight underexplored research areas and reveal opportunities for strengthening the integration of cognitive dispositions, sustainability education, and water sanitation awareness through culturally responsive educational strategies. This study contributes by providing a structured overview of the field and clarifying research gaps to guide future educational research and policy aligned with SDG 6.