Research trends on micro-credentials: a keyword co-occurrence analysis and science mapping

Abstract

The transformation of the labour market has posed significant challenges, particularly for the higher education sector, as traditional degree programmes struggle to keep pace with evolving professional development needs. In response, micro-credentials have emerged as a promising solution to bridge the skills gap. Despite growing interest in micro-credentialing, no bibliometric reviews have examined the literature across educational levels and academic disciplines beyond 2020, despite the unprecedented surge in micro-credentials during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, scholars and practitioners lack a comprehensive and up-to-date view of micro-credentials as a knowledge base. This study systematically analysed 401 Scopus-indexed documents through descriptive statistics, keyword co-occurrence analysis, and science mapping to establish empirical benchmarks and provide scholarly insights into the expansion and thematic evolution of the literature on micro-credentials. The results show that research on micro-credentials is still in its early stages. The knowledge base demonstrates a global reach, though only one-fifth comes from developing countries. Key research areas include digital credentials, blockchain technology, online learning, and competency-based education, with a significant focus on higher education, STEM fields, and healthcare. The research frontier and direction are largely driven by industrial revolutions, exploring long-term prospects in human-centricity, sustainability, and societal resilience.