The Progress and Trends in Overseas Education: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

With the rapid development of economic globalization and educational internationalization, overseas education has emerged as a pivotal trend in the current global education landscape. Employing bibliometric methods, this study conducts co-citation and co-occurrence analyses using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix software to scrutinize 1985 publications related to overseas education retrieved from the Web of Science database from January 2000 to November 2023. Statistical findings reveal a steady growth trend in overseas education research over the past two decades, with the USA, China, and England identified as the highest contributors. Co-citation analysis unveils that the knowledge foundation of overseas education research primarily emanates from the fields of linguistics and education, giving rise to research themes such as language acquisition, identity, and learning experiences. Co-occurrence analysis demonstrates that research hotspots in overseas education are concentrated in six directions: higher education and international students, internationalization and intercultural competence, language acquisition, identity, and study abroad, student mobility, globalization, and internationalization of higher education. Based on bibliometric analysis, this study proposes future research recommendations, including enhancing research on the mobility of specific groups of international students, strengthening studies on the overseas education market, addressing new dynamics in overseas education in the post-COVID-19 era, and intensifying research on the academic achievements of international students. This study provides scholars in the field of overseas education with an in-depth understanding of the knowledge structure and developmental trends, offering a solid foundation for future research.