From Ethnocultural Knowledge to Systems Thinking: Mapping Global Research on Ethno-ESD in Elementary Education

Authors

  • Ahmad Mulyadiprana Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia
  • Ghullam Hamdu Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia
  • Anggit Merliana Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia
  • Srie Mulyati Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia
  • Ade Yulianto Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia
  • Rifqy Muhammad Hamzah Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33394/jk.v12i3.22094

Keywords:

Ethno-ESD, system thinking, elementary education, SDG 4, bibliometric analysis

Abstract

This study aims to analyze global research trends, thematic evolution, and research characteristics related to Ethno-ESD and systems thinking in elementary education using a bibliometric approach. The study employed bibliometric analysis using Biblioshiny within the Bibliometrix package in RStudio. A total of 44 documents published between 2017 and 2026 were retrieved from the Scopus database and analyzed, representing 33 sources. The analysis focused on publication trends, authorship patterns, citation metrics, and thematic mapping based on keyword co-occurrence. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify and interpret recurring themes and patterns across research topics and keywords. The findings revealed an annual growth rate of 8.01%, indicating increasing scholarly interest in the topic. The dominant motor themes were sustainable development, education, and learning, suggesting that sustainability-oriented educational practices remain central to current research. The collaboration index indicated a moderate level of international research collaboration. These findings suggest that research on Ethno-ESD and systems thinking in elementary education is evolving toward interdisciplinary and sustainability-focused learning approaches. This study contributes to the identification of future research directions and provides a scientific basis for integrating local wisdom and systems thinking into sustainable elementary education practices.

References

Abera, H. G. (2023). The role of education in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A global evidence based research article. International Journal of Social Science and Education Research Studies, 3(01), 67–81.

Aksnes, D. W., & Sivertsen, G. (2023). Global trends in international research collaboration, 1980-2021. Journal of Data and Information Science, 8(2), 26–42.

Aria, M., Cuccurullo, C., D’Aniello, L., & Spano, M. (2026). Biblioshiny and the SAAS Workflow: An integrated framework for transparent and reproducible science mapping. A demonstration through the replication of a study. Journal of Informetrics, 20(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2026.101837

Blom, R., & Karrow, D. D. (2024). Environmental and sustainability education in teacher education research: an international scoping review of the literature. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 25(5), 903–926.

Bozkurt, E. (2023). A bibliometric analysis of systems thinking research in science education 1991–2022. Science Education International, 34(3), 225–234.

Bozkurt, N. O., & Bozkurt, E. (2024). Systems Thinking in Education: A Bibliometric Analysis. Education & Science/Egitim ve Bilim, 49(218).

Çetinkaya, M., Mercan, G., & Selçuk, Z. V. (2025). Mapping the evolution of systems thinking in science education: A bibliometric analysis (January 2010–December 2024). International Journal of Education Technology and Scientific Researches, 10(30), 55–74.

Costa, J., Alscher, P., & Thums, K. (2024). Global competences and education for sustainable development. A bibliometric analysis to situate the OECD global competences in the scientific discourse. Zeitschrift Für Erziehungswissenschaft, 1–20.

Dorta-González, P., & Gómez-Déniz, E. (2022). Modeling the obsolescence of research literature in disciplinary journals through the age of their cited references. Scientometrics, 127(6), 2901–2931.

Eichentopf, I.-M., & Kasperidus, H. D. (2025). Integrating technology assessment, systems thinking, and system dynamics in sustainability education: The need for an interdisciplinary framework. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 9, 100535.

Fairus, F., Maftuh, B., Sujana, A., Pribadi, R., & Azzahra, F. (2024). Local wisdom integration in learning implementation in elementary school. Jurnal Cakrawala Pendas, 10(2), 194–205.

Frey, S., Beege, M., Renkl, A., & Riess, W. (2025). The Impact of System Models on Systems Thinking in the Context of Climate Change in Elementary School. Systems, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13040220

Gorski, A.-T., Ranf, E.-D., Badea, D., Halmaghi, E.-E., & Gorski, H. (2023). Education for sustainability—Some bibliometric insights. Sustainability, 15(20), 14916.

Hoang, A.-D. (2025). Evaluating bibliometrics reviews: A practical guide for peer review and critical reading. In Evaluation Review (Vol. 49, Number 6, pp. 1074–1102). SAGE Publications Sage CA: Los Angeles, CA.

Horn, A., Urias, E., & Zweekhorst, M. B. M. (2022). Epistemic stability and epistemic adaptability: interdisciplinary knowledge integration competencies for complex sustainability issues. Sustainability Science, 17(5), 1959–1976.

Ichinose, T. (2025). Analysing the Implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) from National to School Levels Through Bibliometric Studies. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 19(1), 96–109.

Jakes, V. (2024). The role of traditional knowledge in sustainable development. International Journal of Humanity and Social Sciences, 3(2), 40–55.

Jang, F.-L., Chien, T.-W., & Chou, W. (2023). Thematic maps with scatter and 4-quadrant plots in R to identity dominant entities on schizophrenia in psychiatry since 2017: bibliometric analysis. Medicine, 102(46), e36041.

Lestari, N., & Suyanto, S. (2024). A systematic literature review about local wisdom and sustainability: Contribution and recommendation to science education. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 20(2), em2394.

Lõhmus, A., Kiisel, M., & Lõhkivi, E. (2025). Interdisciplinary collaboration for sustainability science: the training challenge. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12(1), 1936.

Marco-Lajara, B., Martinez-Falco, J., Millan-Tudela, L. A., & Sanchez-Garcia, E. (2023). Analysis of the structure of scientific knowledge on wine tourism: A bibliometric analysis. Heliyon, 9(2).

Marsandi, F., Sutadji, E., Kuntadi, I., Rizal, F., Nur Rahma, A. B., & Fajri, H. (2025). Integrating Ethnobotany and Indigenous Knowledge into Higher Education Curricula: Insights from a Global Biobliometric Analysis. Ethnobotany Research and Applications , 30. https://doi.org/10.32859/era.30.17.1-12

Nguyen, L. K., Huynh, B. N. T., Nguyen, K. H. G., & Dao, H. T. H. (2026). Mainstreaming education for sustainable development in chemistry via a systems thinking approach: a case study on a series of lessons in the existing curriculum. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 27(2), 742–756. https://doi.org/10.1039/d5rp00450k

Peretz, R. (2025). Integrating Systems Thinking into Sustainability Education: An Overview with Educator-Focused Guidance. Education Sciences, 15(12), 1685.

Probst, L. (2022). Higher education for sustainability: A critical review of the empirical evidence 2013–2020. Sustainability, 14(6), 3402.

Sari, T., Nayir, F., & Poyrazli, S. (2025). Educare, Educere, or Holistic? Exploring Researchers’ Educational Approaches in Education for Sustainable Development Research. Sustainable Development, 33(5), 6590–6603. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3481

Tafese, M. B., & Kopp, E. (2025). Education for sustainable development: analyzing research trends in higher education for sustainable development goals through bibliometric analysis. Discover Sustainability, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00711-7

Thian, L. B., Ng, V., & Yoon, S. J. (2026). A systematic review of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to foster systems thinking in higher education for sustainability. Discover Sustainability, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-026-02832-7

Vadhera, A. S., Lee, J. S., Veloso, I. L., Khan, Z. A., Trasolini, N. A., Gursoy, S., Kunze, K. N., Chahla, J., & Verma, N. N. (2022). Open access articles garner increased social media attention and citation rates compared with subscription access research articles: an altmetrics-based analysis. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 50(13), 3690–3697.

Verma, A., & Dhaigude, A. S. (2026). Quality Education – Sustainable Development Goal 4: A Bibliometric Analysis through a Management and Policy Lens. Integration of Education, 30(1), 10–28. https://doi.org/10.15507/1991-9468.030.202601.010-028

Yakub, P., Fahira, A. P., Puspitawati, R. P., Prastiwi, M. S., & Listiaji, P. (2025). Critical thinking trends in STEM learning for SDGs: A bibliometric study comparing scopus and dimensions data. E3S Web of Conferences, 640. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202564002011

Yulianto, A., Sopandi, W., Riandi, R., & Hamdu, G. (2026). Assessing Teachers’ Readiness for Science Learning in Elementary School: A Rasch Analysis of the Nature of Science, RADEC, and Science Process Skills. Multidisciplinary Science Journal, 8(9), 2026475. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.31893/multiscience.2026475

Zhang, Y., & Wang, P. (2022). Detecting the historical roots of education for sustainable development (ESD): A bibliometric analysis. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 23(3), 478–502.

Published

2026-09-04

How to Cite

Mulyadiprana, A., Hamdu, G., Merliana, A., Mulyati, S., Yulianto, A., & Hamzah, R. M. (2026). From Ethnocultural Knowledge to Systems Thinking: Mapping Global Research on Ethno-ESD in Elementary Education. Jurnal Kependidikan : Jurnal Hasil Penelitian Dan Kajian Kepustakaan Di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran, Dan Pembelajaran, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.33394/jk.v12i3.22094

Citation Check