MAPPING TWO DECADES OF RESEARCH ON SCIENCE EDUCATION IN SPECIAL EDUCATION: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS

This study investigates the state of science education research within the field of special education by conducting a bibliometric analysis of articles indexed in the Web of Science database. Using the keyword “science education,” twenty-eight studies published over the last two decades and focused on special education or disability were identified and examined. The analysis explored publication trends, country and institutional productivity, journal distribution, citation performance, link strength, and the most frequent keywords and abstract terms. Results indicate a marked increase in publication activity after 2020, highlighting a growing scholarly interest in this intersectional field. The United States emerged as the leading contributor, with the University of North Carolina identified as the most productive institution. Intellectual disability was the most frequently used keyword, while student appeared most often in abstracts, reflecting the field’s emphasis on learner-centered approaches. Overall, the findings provide an overview of global research patterns in special education–related science education and offer a foundation for future studies seeking to map emerging themes and research gaps.