Global research trends on teacher competence for religious moderation education in schools: A bibliometric analysis

Abstract

This study aimed to map the global research landscape on teacher competencies for religious moderation education in schools through a bibliometric analysis of publications over the past decade. The study employed a bibliometric design using the Scopus database, accessed on March 7, 2026. The search was conducted in the title, abstract, and keywords using terms related to teacher competence, religious moderation, and school contexts. Document selection followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, resulting in 307 documents. The screening criteria included the publication period from 2016 to 2025 and document types consisting of articles, review papers, and conference papers. Data were analyzed using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer after metadata cleaning with OpenRefine and keyword standardization through a thesaurus file. The results showed a steady increase in publications on teacher competence for religious moderation education in schools over the last decade. The publication landscape indicated that this topic has developed mainly within journals focusing on religious education, multicultural education, and teacher education. Research contributions were largely driven by institutions in the United States and Europe, although participation from regions such as Asia and Australia has also increased. Thematic analysis revealed that the literature primarily focused on multicultural education, teacher education, and inclusive pedagogy. Recent studies also indicated a shift toward more contextual and practice-oriented educational research. Future studies should strengthen classroom-based empirical research, develop integrative teacher training models, and encourage cross-national collaboration to improve understanding of religious moderation education in diverse educational contexts.