Connecting the Dots: Bibliometric Trends in 21st Century Learning Skills and Teacher Competencies

This bibliometric analysis explores research trends and patterns in the field of 21st-century learning skills and teacher competencies, an area critical to preparing educators and students for modern educational demands. With the rapid shift towards digitalization and skill-based learning, there is a growing need to understand how these competencies are conceptualized and studied globally. However, despite the increasing interest, limited studies have systematically analyzed the evolution of research in this field. This study addresses this gap by analyzing 1,101 relevant publications extracted from the Scopus database, using Scopus Analyzer and VOSviewer software for trend visualization and co-occurrence mapping. Key variables analyzed include publication trends by year, prominent authors and institutions, and commonly used keywords. Results show a steady increase in publications from 2004 to 2024, with a significant rise post-2016, reflecting heightened interest in aligning educational frameworks with 21st-century skills. The keyword analysis highlights terms like “critical thinking,†“digital literacy,†and “teacher professional development†as central themes, suggesting a focus on cognitive and technological competencies. Geographically, the United States and the United Kingdom lead in publication volume and citations, indicating a dominant influence, while countries in Asia and Europe also show notable contributions. The analysis underscores the importance of international collaboration in advancing educational competencies for the 21st century. Conclusively, this study offers valuable insights into the development and focus areas of research on learning skills and teacher competencies, providing a foundation for future studies to build upon and address emerging challenges in education.