A Review of Research on the Application of Question Chains in English Reading Teaching

Abstract

This paper analyzes 335 articles on question chains and English reading teaching indexed in CNKI from 2015 to 2025, employing CiteSpace for bibliometric analysis. It reviews the current state, research hotspots, and trends in this field from the dimensions of temporal distribution, spatial distribution, and keywords. The findings reveal that research interest in this area has been steadily increasing and has reached a peak in recent years. Research hotspots mainly focus on the practical design of question chains in English reading classrooms and their impact on students’ thinking quality, while the research perspective has gradually shifted from classroom operational techniques to the cultivation of core competencies. Although current studies have established a common theoretical framework for question chain design, issues remain, such as insufficient attention to individualized design and a lack of focus on teacher professional development. Future research should deepen individualized design, strengthen teacher professional capacity building, and expand the research horizon on educational values, so as to provide new insights for the application of question chains in English reading teaching.