Climate Change Education: The Past, Present Publication Trends and Future Research Agenda

Abstract

Climate Change Education (CCE) has developed as a critical field for promoting climate literacy, resilience, and sustainable behaviour among global communities. Despite various bibliometric studies on environmental education and climate change, there is still a lack of comprehensive longitudinal studies, particularly on CCE. This study closes the gap by undertaking a quantitative bibliometric analysis of CCE using three-decade Scopus publications, looking at productivity, social networks, and co-occurrence networks. The bibliometric analysis of CCE highlights a rapidly evolving field marked by high levels of collaboration, citation impact, and an accelerating publication trend, particularly since 2017. The most recent quinquennium (2020-2024) accounts for nearly 62% of all articles on the subject, indicating a surge in research interest and likely greater financing for CCE research. The significant increase in publications from 2022 to 2024 shows an almost 100% increase over two years, demonstrating an exceptional spike in research focus on CCE. This indicates both a growing awareness of CCE's importance and likely increased research funding in response to global climate challenges. The analysis reveals that CCE research is multi-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary, encompassing not only environmental education but also the integration of technological, psychological, and sociocultural dimensions that collectively enrich the pedagogical landscape. The study's findings provide a resourceful academic foundation for expanding CCE as a transformational research area in global education policy and practice, and emphasizing the importance of collaborative, inclusive, and accessible approaches to preparing policy frameworks for current and future generations to address the challenging realities of climate change and education.