Research on Coding Education in Schools: A Bibliometric Analysis of Trends, Collaborations, and Emerging Directions

This study investigates the development of coding education research in school settings through a bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed literature. A systematic identification and screening process was used to examine 119 journal articles published between 2016 and 2026, focusing on publication trends, leading journals, research collaboration, and emerging themes. The findings indicate a growth in research output, particularly after 2021, reflecting the increasing importance of coding and computational thinking in school education. Major areas of investigation include computational thinking development, curriculum integration, technology-supported learning, and innovative pedagogical approaches. The analysis also identifies an uneven geographical distribution of research and limited collaboration. Recent trends demonstrate growing interest in artificial intelligence, robotics, and interdisciplinary approaches to coding instruction. These developments suggest that coding education is evolving toward more integrated and technology-rich learning models. However, reliance on Scopus-indexed journal articles may limit the coverage of relevant research published in other databases or grey literature.