Learner emotions in collaborative learning: bibliometrics with topic modelling

Abstract Learner emotions in collaborative learning have been actively researched. This paper collected 1866 papers about learner emotions in collaborative learning contexts from 2000 to 2023 and analysed them in terms of (1) research topics, (2) topics’ evolutional patterns, (3) contributing countries/regions/institutions, and (4) scientific collaborations using topic modelling and bibliometrics. Our primary emphasis was on analysing article patterns, discerning the involvement of institutions, countries, or regions, illustrating partnerships via social network visualization, and uncovering significant themes and their developmental shifts via topic modelling and statistical analysis. Results indicated a steady increase in articles focusing on emotions in collaborative learning, attributed largely to the substantial input from scholars based in the USA, the UK, and Australia, alongside a rising interest among academics from Spain, China, as well as Taiwan, Province of China. Examination of regional and institutional partnerships uncovered a tendency for closely located institutions to engage in collaborative endeavours, particularly when sharing similar research focuses. The analysis of topics highlighted that learners’ emotions in collaborative learning, particularly online/computer-supported collaborative learning in various settings (e.g., science, teacher, healthcare, clinical education, and language education) received increasing attention. Diverse applications (e.g., digital games, Wiki, and digital learning platforms) have flourished into collaborative learning activities to understand learners’ behaviour patterns and emotional dynamics. Based on the results, a conceptual framework including seven key dimensions (i.e., contexts, emotional dimensions, collaborative methods and approaches, moderating and mediating variables, outcomes, subject domains, and theoretical foundations) was proposed to guide research on emotional experiences in collaborative learning.