Scientific production in arts education and systemic sustainability: mapping the didactics of artistic expression area in Spanish higher education

Purpose This study examines the relationship between scientific production and sustainability in the Spanish academic field of didactics of artistic expression. Its aim is to map this area, identify institutional and thematic patterns and assess how research aligns with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) within higher education from a whole-institution perspective. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a database of 370 university faculty members, constructed through the cross-validation of official institutional records and major academic repositories (Scopus, Web of Science, Dialnet, and Google Scholar). Bibliometric, spatial, and thematic analyses were conducted using R, Quantum Geographic Information System, and Graphcommons to examine professional composition, territorial distribution, publication patterns, and alignment with the SDGs. Findings The results show a broad presence of research related to the SDGs, although it is unevenly distributed across autonomous communities and institutional profiles. SDG 4 (Quality Education) clearly dominates the research agenda, followed by SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality), reflecting the field's strong pedagogical, social, and innovation-oriented focus. In contrast, environmental and governance-related SDGs (12–17) remain marginal. Publication strategies reveal a dual dissemination model that combines high-impact international journals with national open-access outlets, balancing global visibility with disciplinary consolidation. Originality/value Overall, the findings provide actionable evidence to support sustainability governance, research policy, and strategic planning in higher education institutions. The study also offers a transferable analytical framework for identifying institutional patterns, thematic gaps, and sustainability alignments across academic disciplines, enabling comparative and cross-disciplinary assessments of contributions to the SDGs in higher education.