Research Hotspot and Front Visualization of the Shadow Education System: Data from Web of Science

Abstract

This scientometric review takes 351 documents from 1992–2021 as the research object based on the Web of Science database. With the help of CiteSpace, this study aims to construct visualization mapping knowledge domains, display the research status in shadow education more intuitively, contribute opportunities for further research, and provide a more visual basis for dialog among researchers, policymakers and interested actors in the field. This study, by building coauthor, coword, and cocitation knowledge visualization maps, demonstrates cooperation among authors, research hotspots and frontiers in the field. Our results show that shadow education has experienced a rapid expansion over the last decade but that the scope of the collaborative circle of academia needs to be further expanded. Furthermore, because of shadow education’s variable forms, researchers need to pay extra attention to the scope of its definition. Parents are involved in too many of their children’s educational choices; learning requires more self-drive and improved self-learning ability.