The Knowledge Landscape and Local Characteristics of Learning Engagement Research in China:A Bibliometric Analysis Based on CNKI and CSSCI

Abstract

The study of learning engagement has been fruitful since it entered the vision of Chinese scholars at the end of the 20th century. Taking 2, 389 and 199 valid citing documents from CNKI and CSSCI Database respectively, and the corresponding 4039 cited documents from the latter as the analyzed samples, and comprehensively using bibliometric method and traditional bibliographic method, this paper describes and presents a four-dimensional knowledge picture containing the accumulation history of literature on learning input research in China, main research teams, knowledge base and hot topics of learning engagement research in China, and refines local characteristics based on this. It is found that: (1) Chinese learning engagement research has generated five attributes in its process of development: the process of document accumulation has gone through two stages of “budding period and growth period”; the main research team is composed of scholars from comprehensive universities and normal colleges and universities; the research content has formed the distribution of “multi-action mechanism exploration, less theoretical concept construction”; the research method shows a decreasing law of “more quantitative research, less qualitative research”; research objects presents the characteristics of “focusing on higher education and running through the three stages of primary education, secondary education and higher education”. (2) Chinese learning engagement research has obtained many heterogeneous findings in the comparison: mainly including the development of tools that are closer to Chinese educational practice and the findings that are more in line with the experience of Chinese learners.