From Cognition to Emotion: Recent Global Research Directions in Mathematical Proficiency

Research on mathematical proficiency has gained increasing global attention due to its significance in education and psychology. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of 1,884 articles published between 2020 and 2024 to identify research trends, key contributors, thematic clusters, and global collaboration networks in the field. Utilising VOSviewer and Bibliometrix, two widely used tools for science mapping and visualisation, the analysis reveals 10 thematic clusters, with mathematics, mathematics achievement, academic achievement, and math anxiety emerging as central topics. Among these, mathematics achievement appears as one of the most frequently used keywords, underscoring a strong focus on the relationship between mathematical proficiency and academic outcomes. The United States leads global contributions, supported by prolific institutions and interdisciplinary work published in high-impact journals such as the Journal of Educational Psychology. The analysis also shows a rising number of collaborations across countries and institutions. The findings highlight a growing emphasis on cognitive and socio-emotional factors, including executive functions, working memory and growth mindset. These insights provide a comprehensive roadmap for researchers and policymakers to guide future inquiry, foster interdisciplinary collaboration and develop holistic strategies to improve mathematical proficiency at scale. Limitations include the exclusive use of Scopus-indexed and English-language articles, as well as reliance on keyword-based retrieval. Future studies might incorporate multiple databases, explore culturally contextualised trends, or examine underexplored themes such as pedagogical content knowledge and digital learning environments.