Trends in Research on University Creativity
A Bibliometric Study in Scopus (2015–2024)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18861/cied.2026.17.1.4199Keywords:
creativity, higher education, higher education students, bibliometrics, educational researchAbstract
The aim of this study was to analyze global scientific production on creativity in higher education through a systematic review using a bibliometric approach. In university contexts, creativity is recognized as a key competence for addressing the complex challenges of the 21st century, integrating divergent thinking, pedagogical innovation, and transversal skills. The review was based on the Scopus database, covering the period 2015–2024 and including 2,258 scientific documents. The analysis was conducted using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix tools, allowing for the examination of various dimensions of academic production: document types, annual publication trends, leading countries, most cited authors, high-impact journals, and funding agencies. The results show a growing trend in research on creativity in higher education, with geographic concentration in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, and China, and a strong editorial presence in journals such as Thinking Skills and Creativity and Frontiers in Psychology. Additionally, the analysis of keywords and co-occurrence patterns revealed seven thematic clusters that shape an expanding interdisciplinary field, structured around pedagogical, psychological, technological, and artistic approaches. In conclusion, creativity has ceased to be a marginal line of inquiry and has become a strategic axis of curricular transformation, although challenges remain related to editorial concentration, geopolitical equity, and the need to enhance international scientific collaboration.
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