From Curiosity to Careers: Tracking Student Interest in Biology through Bibliometric Data

To truly invest in the future of the life sciences, we need to understand how and when students become interested in biology and how their interests shift as they progress. Here, a bibliometric analysis is performed to examine the trends in research and education related to biology, focusing on how learning driven by curiosity evolves into professional engagement or career paths. Using data retrieved from the Scopus database and analyzed with Scopus Analyzer and VOSviewer software, we examined 218 relevant publications spanning key themes in biology education and career development. The analysis highlights significant patterns in publication volume, keyword co-occurrence, and citation networks, revealing an increasing focus on interdisciplinary approaches and the incorporation of technology in biology education. Our findings indicate that student interest in biology is increasingly influenced by emerging fields such as bioinformatics, biotechnology, and environmental science, which align with evolving career opportunities. The results also underscore the importance of fostering early engagement in biology through innovative teaching methods and research exposure, as these factors strongly correlate with sustained academic and professional interest. By mapping the trajectory of student interest from curiosity to careers, this research offers meaningful insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers striving to bridge the gap between education and workforce demands in the biological sciences. These findings enhance our understanding of how bibliometric tools can be utilized to inform educational practices and career planning in STEM fields.