Thematic and Temporal Patterns in Mathematics Teacher Educator Research: A Topic Modeling Analysis

The increasing recognition of mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) as a distinct field of inquiry has led to calls for systematic, data-driven analyses of thematic developments and research trends. Despite growing interest, no large-scale review has examined the evolution of MTE research. Addressing this gap, this study applies latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) to identify 17 research themes in 579 Scopus-indexed publications and employs time series analysis (TSA) to track their progression. TSA findings reveal three key phases in MTE research: emergence, expansion, and divergence. While professional growth and pedagogical approach remain central, topics like STEM, task, technology, and social justice are gaining traction, whereas assessment, belief, and knowledge are in decline. By mapping these thematic shifts over time, this study provides a longitudinal perspective on MTE scholarship and highlights directions for future research.