A bibliometric analysis of global research trends in English language assessment at the primary education level (2010–2025)

Abstract

assessment at the primary education level from 2010 to 2025. It is aimed to map the field’s growth, intellectual structure, and collaborative patterns. Using data retrieved from the Scopus database, the study identifies the publication trends, influential authors, leading institutions, keyword co-occurrence, co-authorship networks, and country-level research collaboration. The findings from the bibliometric analysis disclose a marked and accelerating increase in research production, especially after 2018, which indicate increased scholarly and policy interest in assessment quality, alignment, and accountability in primary English education. Citation analysis demonstrates that a comparatively small group of highly influential scholars shapes the field in spite of differences in publication volume, meanwhile institutional analysis highlights robust contributions from both Malaysian and internationally renowned universities. Moreover, keyword and network analyses show a conceptually united and internationally collaborative research landscape, dominated by themes such as assessment validity, reliability, formative assessment, assessment literacy, and CEFR alignment. Ultimately, the study provides a systematic overview of the development of English language assessment research in primary education and contributes a strong empirical foundation for future empirical investigations and framework development.