Analyzing Trends in International Baccalaureate(IB) Education Research Using Text Mining
Taehyeong Choi, Hanjoon Yoo · Journal of Curriculum and Evaluation · 2025
This study aims to systematically analyze the research trends related to International Baccalaureate (IB) education in Korea and identify the main discussion flow. To this end, we conducted text mining analysis using keyword analysis and LDA topic modeling techniques on 184 academic articles published from 2006 to February 2025. The analysis showed that the research interest in IB education has been steadily expanding, with a sharp increase since 2018 and the largest number of studies published in 2024. As a result of the LDA topic modeling analysis, seven major research topics were identified: ‘IB assessment system and its implications for domestic education’, ‘Learner-centered lesson design’, ‘Characteristics of IB PYP and its applicability in Korea’, ‘Discussion on the introduction of IB DP in Korean high schools’, ‘Exploring ways to develop curriculum in Korea through IB curriculum analysis’, ‘Role of teachers in IB education operation’, and ‘Concept-based lesson design and practice’. Based on these results, this study comprehensively examines the current trends and major themes of IB education research in Korea, and provides implications and suggestions for future research directions as well as foundational resources for policy formulation and educational practice.