Exploring Emerging Trends in Adaptive Learning Environments—A Bibliometrics Study Using CiteSpace

This study conducts a scientometric analysis of 397 scholarly publications on adaptive learning environments (ALE) from 2000 to 2023. The research aims to explore significant changes and identify research hotspots within ALE. Utilizing CiteSpace to visualize writing and co-citation networks, this study delineates the knowledge landscape, identifies significant trends, and evaluates the contributions of various countries in the ALE domain. The findings reveal a marked increase in publication volume post-2018, suggesting a growing interest in ALE research. This analysis highlights the significant contributions of countries or regions like the United States, Germany, China, the Netherlands, and Taiwan regarding research output. It also uncovers emerging topics, such as conceptual physics, future directions in ALE, and integrating adaptive tutoring systems. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the field's dynamic evolution over the last two decades by mapping the trends and thematic directions in ALE research. The significance of the findings lies in their potential to guide future research, indicating critical areas of growth and collaboration. This analysis underscores ALE's critical role in reshaping educational landscapes, offering educators, researchers, and policymakers a resource to understand ALE's current and future trajectories.