Abstract:

Education for Sustainable Development has become a central framework for integrating sustainability principles into educational systems worldwide. Despite its widespread adoption, the research landscape of Education for Sustainable Development in higher education remains conceptually fragmented. This study conducts a combined bibliometric and thematic analysis to examine global research trends in Education for Sustainable Development between 2000 and 2024. Publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection were analyzed using bibliometric techniques, including publication trend analysis, keyword co-occurrence mapping, and co-citation networks. A thematic analysis was subsequently applied to identify dominant conceptual and pedagogical orientations. The results indicate a strong increase in research output following the adoption of global sustainability agendas, with dominant themes focusing on curriculum integration, competency-based learning, and institutional transformation. Emerging themes include digital learning for sustainability, sustainability management education, and interdisciplinary program design. The findings demonstrate a shift from normative and policy-driven discussions toward applied and practice-oriented educational models. By integrating bibliometric patterns with thematic insights, this study provides a structured overview of the evolution of Education for Sustainable Development research and offers guidance for educators and policymakers seeking to strengthen sustainability integration in higher education

Keywords:

Education for Sustainable Development, Higher Education, Sustainable Development Goals, Bibliometric Analysis, VOSviewer, Sustainability Competencies, Sustainability Literacy, Curriculum, Co-Citation Analysis, Science Mapping.