Scholarly trends in innovative teaching and learning: a sustainable development goals perspective

Purpose This study investigates research clusters in innovative teaching and learning in business, economics, and management using co-occurrence analysis of author keywords. It offers a wide overview and a dedicated analysis of clusters associated with SDGs 3, 4, and 9, offering new insights into the integration of research themes across these SDGs. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a multi-stage bibliometric approach based on author keywords occurrence analysis to examine the intellectual structure of the literature across the overall set of publications, as well as within publications related to the three SDGs. Findings Research on innovative teaching and learning, notably in education, health, and innovation aligned with SDGs 3, 4, and 9, is predominantly published in journal papers and conference proceedings. The main topics are e-learning, pedagogical innovation, blended and online learning, technology-assisted learning, management systems, and user-centered design. SDG 4 research is quite advanced and technical, SDG 3 deals with practical health issues, and SDG 9 links education to infrastructure. Emerging directions are digitalization, data analytics, industrial integration, technology-based healthcare education, and sustainability. Put differently, education and infrastructure are mostly related to learning platforms and pedagogies (SDGs 4 and 9), whereas change and intervention are mostly related to health and well-being (SDG 3). Research limitations/implications This study uses only Web of Science Core Collection publications and selected SDGs. However, it provides useful insights into global research trends and supports researchers and policymakers in fostering innovation, sustainability, and SDG integration in higher education. Originality/value This study provides a bibliometric analysis of innovative teaching and learning for the SDGs in business, economics, and management. Moreover, this study offers research clusters for each SDG separately and offers a combined analysis between the research themes and the SDGs.