Unveiling Research Mapping on Quality Management and Character Education in Vocational Schools: A Bibliometric Analysis
Keywords:
bibliometric analysis; character education; quality assurance; quality management; vocational schoolAbstract
This study aimed to map the development, core themes and research opportunities in quality management and character education in vocational schools using a bibliometric approach. Data were retrieved from the Scopus database as of December 7, 2025, using a comprehensive search query that generated 142 documents. All metadata were analyzed using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer to examine publication trends, author and institutional productivity, country collaboration networks, influential documents and thematic structures through network and overlay visualizations. The findings indicated a consistent increase in publications since 2010, with a notable surge after 2016, reflecting growing global attention to the quality of vocational education and character development. China, the United States and the United Kingdom emerged as the most productive countries, while the absence of a dominant author suggested that the field remains dynamic and collaborative. The most highly cited documents originated in cross-disciplinary literature, particularly in interprofessional education, service quality and work-based learning. The thematic mapping identified four major clusters: institutional and curriculum quality, organizational management, professional collaboration and quality improvement and ethical and character education. Temporal analysis indicated a shift toward themes such as digital quality management, big data, e-learning, benchmarking and the modernization of vocational training. These findings provided an empirical foundation for strengthening quality governance and character education strategies in vocational schools, while offering new research directions relevant to integrating technology, quality assurance and character development in the evolving landscape of vocational education.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.25.3.17
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