Trends and Landscape of Character Education Research in Elementary Schools: Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the publication trends of character education in elementary schools, identify researchers and institutions that contribute significantly, and explore the dominant themes and keywords in the literature related to character education that affect the moral, social, and academic development of elementary school students.. The method employed was bibliometric analysis, utilizing VOSviewer and R-Studio software to map keyword networks, author collaborations, and citation patterns in character education research. Data sourced from Scopus searches totaled 59 articles over the last 10 years (2015-2025). The results of the study indicate that publications related to character education in primary schools exhibit an increasing trend from year to year, reflecting a growing emphasis on strengthening moral values. The dominant themes include character building, local wisdom, parental involvement, and thematic learning. In addition, academic collaboration between Indonesian researchers and foreign institutions continues to expand, particularly in studies that incorporate cultural values and contextual approaches. Several widely cited articles highlight the effectiveness of character education in improving students' moral, social, and academic development, as well as local culture-based implementation. This research confirms that character education plays a crucial role in shaping students' moral, social, and academic development. Students who receive a good character education exhibit higher levels of discipline, responsibility, and academic achievement. Further research is recommended to explore the effectiveness of traditional game-based approaches, ethnographic methods, and the relationship between character education and the SDGs, to expand contextual and actionable insights and practices in character education.