Bibliometric Mapping of Gamification Research in Education: A Scopus-Based Study (2016–2025)

Abstract

This study aims to map the development of research on gamification in education using a bibliometric approach. Data were obtained from the Scopus database using the keywords “gamification” and “student,” which yielded 793 documents. After screening based on inclusion criteria, namely the 2016–2025 time frame (756 documents), restriction to journal articles (434 documents), and English-language articles (396 documents), 396 final articles were analyzed. The analysis was conducted in three main stages: Scanning Phase, Curating Phase, and Analyzing Phase. The analysis stage was carried out with the help of VOSviewer software to map publication trends per year, distribution based on journals, subject areas, institutions, countries, keywords, and patterns of collaboration between authors. The results of the study show that publications on gamification in education have continued to increase over the past decade, with the largest contributions coming from the fields of social sciences, computer science, and education. The most cited articles emphasize that gamification has a positive impact on motivation, engagement, and learning outcomes, although its effectiveness is highly dependent on the design of gamification elements, the learning context, and the characteristics of individual learners. Several studies also highlight the novelty effect, which is the strong impact of gamification at the beginning but less sustainable in the long term. This study concludes that gamification is an effective learning strategy when applied selectively, adaptively, and integrated with other pedagogical approaches. Recommendations for further research include exploring the long-term impact of gamification through longitudinal studies and developing a more systematic gamification design framework tailored to the needs of learners.