Research article    |    Open Access
International Journal of Excellent Leadership 2025, Vol. 5(2) 52-65

A Bibliometric Analysis of Studies on Excellence in Education

Dilay TIĞLI, Mehmet Taha ESER

pp. 52 - 65

Publish Date: December 31, 2025  |   Single/Total View: 3/5   |   Single/Total Download: 9/9


Abstract

The aim of this study is to conduct a bibliometric analysis of academic publications focusing on the theme of “excellence in education” between the years 2010 and 2024. Designed as a descriptive and network-based bibliometric study, this research is based on publications retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) database using specific keywords, namely educational excellence, teaching excellence, academic excellence, instructional quality, and quality in education. The sample includes peer-reviewed articles written in English and Turkish within the field of educational sciences. Data analysis was carried out using the Bibliometrix R package, and various bibliometric dimensions were examined, including publication trends, prolific authors and institutions, collaboration networks, keyword clustering, and the most frequently cited publications. The findings indicate that the theme of "excellence in education" has gained particular prominence over the past 15 years, especially in the context of higher education. Among the most frequently encountered sub-themes are instructional quality, assessment processes, and quality assurance. It is also noteworthy that multi-authored and internationally collaborative publications tend to receive higher citation counts. This study aims to contribute to the formulation of educational quality policies and to provide a strategic roadmap for future research.

Keywords: Educational excellence, instructional quality, academic excellence, bibliometric analysis


How to Cite this Article?

APA 7th edition
TIGLI, D., & ESER, M.T. (2025). A Bibliometric Analysis of Studies on Excellence in Education. International Journal of Excellent Leadership, 5(2), 52-65.

Harvard
TIGLI, D. and ESER, M. (2025). A Bibliometric Analysis of Studies on Excellence in Education. International Journal of Excellent Leadership, 5(2), pp. 52-65.

Chicago 16th edition
TIGLI, Dilay and Mehmet Taha ESER (2025). "A Bibliometric Analysis of Studies on Excellence in Education". International Journal of Excellent Leadership 5 (2):52-65.

References

    Angrist, N., Evans, D. K., Filmer, D., Glennerster, R., Rogers, H., & Sabarwal, S. (2025). How to improve education outcomes most efficiently? A review of the evidence using a unified metric. Journal of Development Economics, 172, 103382.

    Aras, İ. A. (2023). Thematic map analysis of informal payments in healthcare. Journal of Business Academy, 4(2), 189–202.

    Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2017). Bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of Informetrics, 11(4), 959–975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2017.08.007

    Al, U., & Tonta, Y. (2004). Citation analysis: Sources cited in theses of the Department of Library Science at Hacettepe University. Information World, 5(1), 19–47.

    Al, U., & Coştur, R. (2007). The bibliometric profile of the Turkish Journal of Psychology. Turkish Librarianship, 21(2), 142–163.

    Aylan, F. K. (2021). Bibliometric analysis of adventure tourism using visual mapping technique: A review of the Web of Science database. Journal of Travel and Hotel Management, 18(3), 496–517.

    Biggs, J., & Tang, C. (2003). Teaching for quality learning. Buckingham: Society for.

    Brika, S. K. M., Algamdi, A., Chergui, K., Musa, A. A., & Zouaghi, R. (2021, May). Quality of higher education: A bibliometric review study. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 6, p. 666087). Frontiers Media SA.

    Bornmann, L. (2014). How are excellent (highly cited) papers defined in bibliometrics? A quantitative analysis of the literature. Research Evaluation, 23(2), 166-173.

    Bursalıoğlu, Z. (2002). The enigma of excellence in education. Educational Administration: Theory and Practice, 8(8), 523–526.

    Clemons, R., & Jance, M. (2024). Defining quality in higher education and identifying opportunities for improvement. Sage Open, 14(3), 21582440241271155.

    Depren, Ö., Kartal, M. T., & Depren, S. K. (2018). Bibliometric analysis of academic studies on volatility in stock markets. Journal of Banking and Capital Markets Research, 2(6), 1–15.

    Ersözlü, Z. N., Aydoğan, İ., İskender, M., Helvacı, M. A., & Turhan, M. (2009). In M. Arslan (Ed.), Introduction to educational sciences. Gündüz Education and Publishing.

    Hammer, D., Piascik, P., Medina, M., Pittenger, A., Rose, R., Creekmore, F., ... & Scott, S. (2010). Recognition of teaching excellence. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 74(9), 164.

    Harvey, L., & Green, D. (1993). Defining quality. Assessment & evaluation in higher education, 18(1), 9-34.

    Indicators, O. E. C. D. (2012). Education at a Glance 2016. Editions OECD, 90.

    Insurance, P. Deming we.(1986). Out ofthe crisis. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Galguera, M. P. (2015). UNESCO (2015). Education for all 2000-2015: Achievements and Challenges. EFA Global Monitoring Report 2015. Paris, France. Publication by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. 499 pp. ISBN-978-92-3-10085-0. Journal of Supranational Policies of Education (JOSPOE), (3).

    Güzeller, C. O., & Çeliker, N. (2017). From past to present: The science of gastronomy – A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Tourism & Gastronomy Studies, 5(Special Issue 2), 88–102.

    Karagöz, B., & Ardıç, İ. K. (2019). Bibliometric analysis of articles published in the Journal of Mother Tongue Education. Journal of Mother Tongue Education, 7(2), 419–435.

    Kayacan, İ. (2023). Digital marketing: A bibliometric analysis of the Web of Science database. Yalvaç Academy Journal, 8(1), 53–64.

    Kayadibi, F. (2001). Factors affecting the quality of education and the contribution of quality education to production. Journal of Istanbul University Faculty of Theology, (3).

    Klees, S. J., Stromquist, N. P., Samoff, J., & Vally, S. (2019). The 2018 world development report on education: A critical analysis. Development and Change, 50(2), 603-620.

    Koçyiğit, S. Ç., Temelli, F., & Baskan, T. D. (2023). Bibliometric analysis of articles published on sustainability accounting: The Web of Science example. Journal of Ömer Halisdemir University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 16(1), 241–264.

    Mertala, P., Moens, E., & Teräs, M. (2024). Highly cited educational technology journal articles: A descriptive and critical analysis. Learning, Media and Technology, 49(2), 216-229.

    Mongeon, P., & Paul-Hus, A. (2016). The journal coverage of Web of Science and Scopus: a comparative analysis. Scientometrics, 106(1), 213-228.

    Ninkov, A., Frank, J. R., & Maggio, L. A. (2022). Bibliometrics: methods for studying academic publishing. Perspectives on medical education, 11(3), 173-176.

    Parasuraman, A. B. L. L., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. (1988). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. 1988, 64(1), 12-40.

    Sarı, T., & Aypay, A. (2024). A Bibliometric study of issues in educational policy. Education Sciences, 14(6), 568.

    Slette, A. L., & Johansen, G. (2025). Notions of Quality and Excellence Within a Centre for Excellence Initiative in Higher Education. Higher Education Policy, 1-19.

    Spady, W. G. (1994). Outcome-Based Education: Critical Issues and Answers. American Association of School Administrators, 1801 North Moore Street, Arlington, VA 22209 (Stock No. 21-00488; $18.95 plus postage).

    Susar Kırmızı, F., & Duban, N. (2017). Introduction to educational sciences. Anı Publishing.

    Wang, L., Sun, B., Xu, J., Cao, D., Chen, Y., Xu, Y., & Wu, D. (2024). Emerging trends and hotspots in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia research from 2013 to 2023: A bibliometric analysis. Heliyon, 10(11).

    Zeren, D., & Kaya, N. (2020). Digital marketing: Bibliometric analysis of national literature. Çağ University Journal of Social Sciences, 17(1), 35–52.