Global Trends and Emerging Themes in Culturally Responsive Teaching for Science Learning

Abstract

In the evolving landscape of science education, Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) has emerged as a vital pedagogical framework for promoting equity, inclusivity, and relevance. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of global research trends and conceptual developments in CRT within science education. Utilizing data from the Scopus database and analyzed through the Biblioshiny platform, the study maps 157 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2008 and 2025. The analysis addresses four key research questions related to publication trends, influential contributors, thematic structures, and research gaps. Findings reveal a sharp increase in scholarly attention to CRT since 2017, with a notable publication surge in 2024. The United States leads in both publication volume and international collaboration, while other countries such as Australia, Canada, and Nigeria show emerging engagement. Thematic mapping and keyword co-occurrence analysis uncover five major clusters, including science education, STEM and computing equity, culturally sustaining pedagogy, indigenous knowledge, and critical race theory. Despite growing interdisciplinary integration, gaps persist in areas such as equity in data science, culturally sustaining practices, and critical pedagogies. The study also identifies a concentration of thought leadership among a small group of scholars and institutions, highlighting the need for greater authorship diversity and geographic representation. Thematic and conceptual analyses emphasize the importance of teacher professional development, interdisciplinary approaches, and technology integration in advancing CRT practices. This bibliometric mapping contributes to a clearer understanding of CRT’s evolution and current landscape in science education. It offers valuable insights for scholars, educators, and policymakers seeking to build more culturally responsive, globally inclusive, and future-ready science education systems aligned with the values of Education 4.0.