Bibliometric Analysis of Education 4.0 Trends in K-12 Across Asia Using VOSviewer and R

Resky Nuralisa Gunawan, Nurul Febrianti B, Helpia Addina Karobi, Primita Arif Carabella, Megi Sepriyanti Gobel, Brilliant D. Izzulhaq

Abstract


The establishment of Education 4.0 signifies an increasing demand for essential 21st-century skills, including critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and digital literacy.  In the K–12 context, technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and adaptive learning tools have changed educational practices. Implementation across Asia is inconsistent, influenced by differing infrastructure, curriculum, and policy conditions. This study systematically maps and visualizes the evolution of Education 4.0 research in K–12 education across Asia from 2015 to 2025 using a bibliometric approach. A total of 396 articles indexed in Scopus were analyzed using the PRISMA screening method. Data visualization was performed using VOSviewer, while statistical analysis was conducted through the bibliometrix package in R. The research analyzed contributions at the country level, co-authorship systems, thematic trends, and the co-occurrence of keywords. The findings suggest that India, Indonesia, and Malaysia are at the forefront in terms of publication volume, exhibiting a consistent increase in results over the past decade. Analysis of keywords indicates a transition from broad themes, such as “Education 4.0,” to more focused subjects, including “artificial intelligence,” “blockchain,” and “machine learning.”  Although the majority of collaborations are domestic, certain countries are establishing international partnerships. Thematic clusters highlight significant connections between educational reform and digital transformation, indicating a shift toward adaptive, data-driven instruction. Prominent papers frequently emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary methodologies and the integration of technology. The research conducted concludes that Asia significantly influences the discourse surrounding Education 4.0 in the K–12 sector. Expanded global cooperation and empirical inquiry are crucial for addressing issues related to implementation, policy, and equity. Future research must examine long-term effects and promote cross-national comparisons to inform sustainable educational innovation.

Keywords


Artificial intelligence; Blockchain; Machine learning; Digital transformation; Knowledge management

Full Text:

PDF

References


M. Liesa-Orús, C. Latorre-Cosculluela, S. Vázquez-Toledo, and V. Sierra-Sánchez, “The Technological Challenge Facing Higher Education Professors: Perceptions of ICT Tools for Developing 21st Century Skills,” Sustainability, vol. 12, no. 13, p. 5339, Jul. 2020, https://doi.org/10.3390/su12135339.

N. Songkram, S. Chootongchai, J. Khlaisang, and P. Koraneekij, “Education 3.0 system to enhance twenty-first century skills for higher education learners in Thailand,” Interactive Learning Environments, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 566–582, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2019.1592197.

J. C. González‐salamanca, O. L. Agudelo, and J. Salinas, “Key Competences, Education for Sustainable Development and Strategies for the Development of 21st Century Skills. A Systematic Literature Review,” Sustainability, vol. 12, no. 24, p. 10366, Dec. 2020, https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410366.

L. I. González‐pérez and M. S. Ramírez‐montoya, “Components of Education 4.0 in 21st Century Skills Frameworks: Systematic Review,” Sustainability, vol. 14, no. 3, p. 1493, Jan. 2022, https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031493.

M. Binkley et al., “Defining Twenty-First Century Skills,” Assessment and teaching of 21st century skills, pp. 17–66, Jan. 2012, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2324-5_2.

M. M. Asad and S. Hussain, “Effect of creative and collaborative learning communities on virtual learning environment for Education 4.0: a quantitative study of Pakistan,” Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 16, no. 5, pp. 1533–1547, Nov. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-01-2023-0042.

W. C. V. Wu, K. Manabe, M. W. Marek, and Y. Shu, “Enhancing 21st-century competencies via virtual reality digital content creation,” Journal of Research on Technology in Education, vol. 55, no. 3, pp. 388–410, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2021.1962455.

E. Costan et al., “Education 4.0 in Developing Economies: A Systematic Literature Review of Implementation Barriers and Future Research Agenda,” Sustainability, vol. 13, no. 22, p. 12763, Nov. 2021, https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212763.

M. S. Ramírez-Montoya, I. M. Castillo-Martínez, J. Sanabria-Z, and J. Miranda, “Complex Thinking in the Framework of Education 4.0 and Open Innovation—A Systematic Literature Review,” Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, vol. 8, no. 1, p. 4, Mar. 2022, https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc8010004.

D. Ortiz de Zárate et al., “Enhancing K-12 students’ performance in chemistry through ChatGPT-powered blended learning in the education 4.0 era,” INTED2024 Proceedings, vol. 1, pp. 3920–3929, Mar. 2024, https://doi.org/10.21125/inted.2024.1017.

J. Jeon and S. Lee, “Large language models in education: A focus on the complementary relationship between human teachers and ChatGPT,” Educ Inf Technol (Dordr), vol. 28, no. 12, pp. 15873–15892, Dec. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11834-1.

S. Mystakidis, E. Berki, and J. P. Valtanen, “Deep and Meaningful E-Learning with Social Virtual Reality Environments in Higher Education: A Systematic Literature Review,” Applied Sciences, vol. 11, no. 5, p. 2412, Mar. 2021, https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052412.

A. Haleem, M. Javaid, M. A. Qadri, and R. Suman, “Understanding the role of digital technologies in education: A review,” Sustainable Operations and Computers, vol. 3, pp. 275–285, Jan. 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.susoc.2022.05.004.

F. Dahalan, N. Alias, and M. S. N. Shaharom, “Gamification and Game-Based Learning for Vocational Education and Training: A Systematic Literature Review,” Educ Inf Technol (Dordr), vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 1279–1317, Feb. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11548-w.

L. T. Dao, T. Tran, H. Van Le, G. N. Nguyen, and T. P. T. Trinh, “A bibliometric analysis of Research on Education 4.0 during the 2017–2021 period,” Educ Inf Technol (Dordr), vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 2437–2453, Mar. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11211-4.

E. Mukul and G. Büyüközkan, “Digital transformation in education: A systematic review of education 4.0,” Technol Forecast Soc Change, vol. 194, p. 122664, Sep. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122664.

H. A. AlMalki and C. M. Durugbo, “Institutional innovation readiness for Industry 4.0 education: towards an inclusive model for the Kingdom of Bahrain,” Asian Journal of Technology Innovation, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 309–335, May 2023, https://doi.org/10.1080/19761597.2022.2056492.

N. Akimov et al., “Components of education 4.0 in open innovation competence frameworks: Systematic review,” Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, vol. 9, no. 2, p. 100037, Jun. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2023.100037.

A. Marks and M. Al-Ali, “Digital Transformation in Higher Education: A Framework for Maturity Assessment,” COVID-19 Challenges to University Information Technology Governance, pp. 61–81, Jan. 2022, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13351-0_3.

M. A. Mohamed Hashim, I. Tlemsani, and R. Duncan Matthews, “A sustainable University: Digital Transformation and Beyond,” Educ Inf Technol (Dordr), vol. 27, no. 7, pp. 8961–8996, Aug. 2022, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-10968-y.

M. Odinokaya, E. Tsimerman, M. Akour, and M. Alenezi, “Higher Education Future in the Era of Digital Transformation,” Education Sciences, vol. 12, no. 11, p. 784, Nov. 2022, https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12110784.

M. A. Mohamed Hashim, I. Tlemsani, and R. Matthews, “Higher education strategy in digital transformation,” Educ Inf Technol (Dordr), vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 3171–3195, Apr. 2022, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10739-1.

A. Henadirage and N. Gunarathne, “Barriers to and Opportunities for the Adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education in the Global South: Insights from Sri Lanka,” Int J Artif Intell Educ, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 245–281, Mar. 2025, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40593-024-00439-5.

G. Rizzo, G. Migliore, G. Schifani, and R. Vecchio, “Key factors influencing farmers’ adoption of sustainable innovations: a systematic literature review and research agenda,” Organic Agriculture 2023 14:1, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 57–84, Aug. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13165-023-00440-7.

E. Cefis and S. Scrofani, “European National Innovation Policies: A Review of Policy Designs and Scopes,” Contributions to Economics, vol. Part F259, pp. 41–65, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-85814-7_3.

K. S. Selim and S. S. Rezk, “On predicting school dropouts in Egypt: A machine learning approach,” Educ Inf Technol (Dordr), vol. 28, no. 7, pp. 9235–9266, Jul. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11571-x.

M. Tedre et al., “Teaching machine learning in K-12 Classroom: Pedagogical and technological trajectories for artificial intelligence education,” IEEE Access, vol. 9, pp. 110558–110572, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3097962.

P. Qiao, X. Zhu, Y. Guo, Y. Sun, and C. Qin, “The Development and Adoption of Online Learning in Pre- and Post-COVID-19: Combination of Technological System Evolution Theory and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology,” Journal of Risk and Financial Management, vol. 14, no. 4, p. 162, Apr. 2021, https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm14040162.

S. Pathak and V. Jain, “Transformation of Quality Education Through E-Learning for Sustainable Development,” Transforming Vocational Education and Training Using AI, pp. 211–248, 2025, https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-8252-3.ch009.

Saleem, S., Dhuey, E., White, L., & Perlman, M. (2024). Understanding 21st-century skills needed in response to Industry 4.0: Exploring scholarly insights using bibliometric analysis. Telematics and Informatics Reports, 3, 100010, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teler.2024.100124.

T. Wang, and E. C. K. Cheng, “An investigation of barriers to Hong Kong K-12 schools incorporating Artificial Intelligence in education,” Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, vol. 2, p. 100025, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2021.100031.

F. J. Agbo, C. Olivia, G. Oguibe, and I. T. Sanusi, “Computing education using generative artificial intelligence tools: A systematic literature review,” Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, vol. 4, p. 100097, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2025.100266.

A. S. C. Souza, and L. Debs, “Concepts, innovative technologies, learning approaches, and trend topics in education 4.0: A scoping literature review,” Social Sciences & Humanities Open, vol. 10, p. 100399, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.100902.

H. Nguyen, J. M. Mouw, A. Mali, and J. W. Strijbos, “Developing a technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) survey for university teachers,” Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, vol. 3, p. 100084, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100202.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.59247/jtped.v1i2.12

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2025 Resky Nuralisa Gunawan, Nurul Febrianti B, Helpia Addina Karobi, Primita Arif Carabella, Megi Sepriyanti Gobel

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Journal of Technological Pedagogy and Educational Development
ISSN: 
Organized by Peneliti Teknologi Teknik Indonesia
Published by Peneliti Teknologi Teknik Indonesia
Website: https://ejournal.jtped.org/ojs/index.php/jtped
Email: alfian_maarif@ieee.org
Address: Yogyakarta, Indonesia