Gamification in Education: Mapping Global Research Trends, Intellectual Structures, and Emerging Topics Through Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Gamification has emerged as an increasingly influential approach in educational research, particularly alongside the rapid development of digital learning technologies and learner-centered pedagogies. This study aims to map the global development of gamification in education research by identifying publication patterns, thematic structures, research hotspots, and emerging topics. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using Scopus data covering the period from 2012 to 2026. The initial search identified 444 documents, which were distributed across diverse subject areas, particularly Computer Science (262 documents), Social Sciences (238), Engineering (120), and Mathematics (55). The dataset also demonstrates broad international participation, with Spain, the United States, Malaysia, Brazil, and India representing the most productive countries. Bibliometric visualization was performed using VOSviewer to examine keyword co-occurrence, research clusters, and the temporal development of research themes. The results indicate that gamification, gamification in education, education, e-learning, learning systems, teaching, and educational technology constitute the core research themes. The thematic structure further reveals strong connections between gamification and active learning, game design, student experiences, motivation, adaptive learning, artificial intelligence, mobile learning, human–computer interaction, and personalized learning. The overlay analysis suggests a shift from foundational research on game elements and learning environments toward emerging technological applications, including artificial intelligence, adaptive learning, augmented reality, digital tools, and personalized learning. These findings demonstrate that gamification research is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary and technology-oriented. Future research should strengthen empirical and longitudinal investigations and explore the integration of gamification with AI, learning analytics, immersive technologies, and personalized learning to support more effective, engaging, and sustainable educational experiences.