Trends in school building design and projects: a bibliometric analysis

Document Type

Review

Publication Date

1-1-2026

Abstract

Background: In the 21st century, school building design is increasingly expected to be inclusive, adaptive and capable of supporting evolving pedagogical demands. As educational paradigms shift towards learner-centred and flexible approaches, the built environment plays a critical role in shaping students’ experiences and learning outcomes. Despite growing recognition of this relationship, scholarly attention to school building design remains limited within mainstream educational research. To ensure future learning environments stay responsive to all users’ needs, it is important to examine how the field is evolving. Purpose: This study employed bibliometric analysis to investigate research trends in school building design and projects throughout the 21st century, identifying key themes, underexplored topics, and potential areas for future research. Method: Using descriptive performance analysis and science mapping techniques, a total of 1942 academic papers indexed in the Scopus database were reviewed to examine the growth trajectory, leading contributors, and thematic focus of school building design research. Findings: School building design research has grown steadily from 2001 to 2024. Although research output is geographically diverse, the most highly cited work is concentrated in developed countries and emerging economies. It is primarily focused on themes related to energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and sustainability; rather than on topics such as student well-being, spatial experience or pedagogical needs. There is an overemphasis on technical and environmental aspects, with dominant topics including structural safety and disaster risk management, environmental sustainability, indoor environmental quality, occupant comfort, and building performance and evaluation. Conclusion: These findings suggest that school building design research is expanding but thematically unbalanced. This indicates a need for a broader research agenda that encompasses socially based perspectives and core architectural concerns in future school building design research.

Publication Title

Educational Research

ISSN

00131881

DOI

10.1080/00131881.2026.2642816

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