Bibliometric analysis of innovative and flexible learning spaces in higher education (2015-2025)

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55040/j21ye616

Keywords:

learning spaces, university education, educational innovation, bibliometric analysis

Abstract

This study bibliometrically analyzes the scientific output on innovative and flexible learning spaces in higher education during the period 2015–2025. A systematic literature review was conducted using the Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC databases, selecting 157 articles analyzed with bibliometric techniques using VOSviewer software. Indicators of scientific output, co-occurrence of terms, collaboration among authors and institutions, as well as geographical and temporal distribution, were examined. The results show sustained growth in scientific output, with a significant increase starting in 2020 and a peak in 2025. China leads in output by country, followed by Spain, Thailand, and Australia. Five main thematic areas emerged: human factors and learning contexts, digital teaching competencies, methodological innovations and smart environments, digital integration and transformation, and emerging technologies. The analysis demonstrates the maturity of the field and the growing relevance of innovative learning spaces in higher education, driven by active, student-centered methodologies and the integration of advanced digital technologies.

Author Biographies

  • Josefina Ginesta-Martínez, Catholic University of Valencia

    She is a doctoral candidate in the PhD program on the challenges of the Social Sciences and Humanities in 21st-century society at the Catholic University of Valencia. She has participated in various conferences and published several research articles. Her main research interests are the integration of ICT in education, the teaching-learning process, teaching methodologies, and educational innovation.

  • Sara Cebrián-Cifuentes, Catholic University of Valencia

    PhD in Education from the University of Valencia. She is the Director of the Master's Program in Technological Innovation in Education at the Catholic University of Valencia. She is a tenured research fellow accredited by ANECA (National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation). She has been awarded one six-year research period (sexenio). Her main lines of research are the integration of ICT in education, ICT skills in teachers and students, learning, and educational research methodology. She is the Principal Investigator of the Emerging Research Project (CIGE/2022/95) entitled "Intervention Model and its Application in the Curriculum Design of Generic Competencies in University Students in the Educational Field," funded by the Regional Ministry of Innovation, Universities, Science, and Digital Society. She is a member of the Innovation, Methodology, and ICT Research Group (INMETIC) at the Catholic University of Valencia. She has conducted research stays at Ghent University and UNESCO.

  • Empar Guerrero-Valverde, Catholic University of Valencia

    With a PhD in Educational Sciences and one six-year research period, she is an expert in emerging methodologies and the use of ICT in education. She is the Principal Investigator of the INMETIC Research Group at the UCV. She teaches at the undergraduate and master's levels. She coordinates the specialization in Socio-Community Intervention Technician within the Master's Degree in Teacher Training. She has conducted extensive research in educational innovation and teaching methodology, and is the author and co-author of several publications specializing in teaching competencies, university education, and the use of ICT in university training.

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Published

2026-01-01

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2026)

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Reviews

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Copyright (c) 2026 Josefina Ginesta-Martínez, Sara Cebrián-Cifuentes, Empar Guerrero-Valverde

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0

How to Cite

Ginesta-Martínez, J., Cebrián-Cifuentes, S., & Guerrero-Valverde, E. (2026). Bibliometric analysis of innovative and flexible learning spaces in higher education (2015-2025). EDUCA. International Journal for Educational Quality, 6(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.55040/j21ye616

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