GLOBAL TRENDS AND THEMATIC DIRECTIONS IN GAMIFICATION RESEARCH IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

This study aims to identify the development dynamics, geographical and disciplinary structure, major thematic directions, and scholarly influence of global publications on gamification in higher education. The study is based on scientific publications indexed in the Scopus database between 2010 and 2024. Following the PRISMA principles, 77 of the 95 initially identified records were included in the final analysis. The Bibliometrix package in RStudio and VOSviewer software were used for data processing, calculation of bibliometric indicators, and visualization. The analysis examined annual publication trends, the geographical distribution of authors, leading scientific journals, subject areas, keyword relationships, and the most frequently cited publications. The results revealed an overall increase in scholarly interest in gamification in higher education during the period examined, with the most notable growth in publication activity occurring between 2019 and 2021. The geographical analysis identified particularly high research activity in Spain, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The keyword network structure revealed major thematic directions centered on student motivation and engagement, digital learning environments, game-based learning, and pedagogical innovations. The most frequently cited studies placed particular emphasis on game elements such as points, badges, levels, leaderboards, and collaborative tasks. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of gamification research and the emergence of new research directions associated with the development of digital educational environments. The study systematizes the development of the scientific literature on gamification in higher education and helps identify established research directions as well as insufficiently explored issues. These findings provide a scientific basis for defining priorities for future empirical research and for further investigating the pedagogically grounded application of gamification in higher education.