A Bibliometric Analysis of Brain-Based Learning Research in Classroom Contexts (2010–2024): Trends, Influential Contributors, and Thematic Evolution

Abstract The present study investigates a discourse that has aroused general interest among educational scholars over the past few years: the influence of neuroscientific knowledge on educational research and brain-based learning within classroom contexts. The rapid growth of related research has generated a diverse body of literature with various orientations and sometimes conflicting findings, which has occasionally obscured a clear picture of its main directions and intellectual structure. To address this research gap, the current article performs a structured synthesis of the literature using a bibliometric analysis combined with a systematic review methodology. In accordance with the PRISMA 2020 protocol, this study utilizes the Scopus database to analyze publications over a 15-year period (2010–2024). The initial search retrieved 543 records. Overall, 180 publications were identified after deduplication and the application of database filters. Upon title and abstract screening, 119 articles were excluded, leaving 61 studies for full-text review. After eligibility assessment, 16 peer-reviewed articles were included in the final bibliometric and thematic analysis. The results show a significant increase in scholarly activity, as well as an obvious paradigm shift from predominant theoretical investigations to practical, application-related classroom research. Key countries, academic institutions, and authors contributing to the field are identified through various statistical indicators, and a thematic structure encompassing educational neuroscience, learning/the learner, cognition training, and teacher-related instructional tools is established. These trends reflect an evolution toward the operationalization of brain-based learning principles in naturalistic educational environments. The paper concludes by recommending that future research focus on experimentally informed, longitudinal, and comparative designs, as well as teacher preparation and professional development programs based on brain-based instructional models, to make the empirical grounds of this field more robust and its educational implications stronger. Keywords: Brain-based learning; Educational neuroscience; Classroom contexts; Bibliometric analysis; Research trends; Thematic evolution; Instructional design; Teacher education.