BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF STUDIES ON THE CONCEPT OF METHODS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING USING VOSVIEWER

517 Vol. 5, No. 11 – Special Issue (EJAR) ISSN: 2181-2020 LPTIENP International Scientific-Practice Conference on “Linguistics and Pedagogical Technologies: International Experience and National Practice” Denau, November 20, 2025 in-academy.uz/index.php/ejar BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF STUDIES ON THE CONCEPT OF METHODS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING USING VOSVIEWER Prof. Dr. Mehmet Nuri GÖMLEKSİZ Fırat Üniversitesi, Eğitim Fakültesi, [email protected] – ORCID: 0000-0002-8268-0163 Tarık İNCE Malatya Turgut Özal Üniversitesi, Yabancı Diller Yüksekokulu, [email protected] – ORCID: 0000-0002-7085-2706 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17935196 Abstract: The literature on English Language Teaching (ELT) research is growing, but bibliometric studies in this field are quite scarce. This study aims to examine methods in English Language Teaching from a holistic perspective, and attempts to identify trends in studies conducted over the years in the Web of Science (WOS) database. The research dataset consists of 2,928 studies obtained from the Web of Science database conducted between 2021 -2025. The dataset were examined using bibliometric analysis, and the findings were interpreted. Mapping and diagrams have been created in the study for a general overview and interpretation. It was determined that interest in the concept has increased in recent years and, accordingly, various studies on the subject have increased in many countries around the world. The variables such as the countries, researchers, institutions, citations, etc., with the most studies on Methods in English Language Teaching were examined through the analyses, and an effort was made to understand the importance of the concept of Methods in English Language Teaching. It is hoped that the research findings will shed light on future researchers wishing to conduct research in this field and contribute to the literature. Keywords: Methods, English Language Teaching, ELT INTRODUCTION In this communication and collaboration centered world, as a global means of communication and interaction, English plays an essential role (Francisco & Celon, 2020). This makes the quality of language education a national priority in countries like Türkiye, where English is taught as a foreign language. However, there is a significant gap between internationally recognized pedagogical theories in this field and their implementation in the classroom. To gain a deep understanding of current debates and practices in language teaching, one must know how new methods are being addressed in the field (Liu & Jin-fang, 2007). The field of English Language Teaching (ELT) has responded with a long and diverse history of pedagogical research, leading to the development of numerous methods and approaches (Gömleksiz, 2000). Nevertheless, the ongoing exploration of new teaching methods underscores a crucial fact: no single method has been universally proven to be adequate for every learning context (Larsen-Freeman, 2000). That is why It is important to have a comprehensive knowledge base regarding language teaching methods. The history of language teaching has been shaped by a critical ideological shift from traditional, teacher-centered methods to modern, student-centered approaches (Ayatollahi & Ferdosi, 2021). Looking at the history of foreign language teaching, however, it is clear that there has been an ongoing debate about how languages should be taught. Despite various methods being proposed by linguists, it cannot be said that there is a unique ideal method (Erdem, 2013). In addition to these methodological shortcomings, it is noted that foreign language teaching in Türkiye is far from being fulfilling at the desired level (Akpınar & Aydın, 2009). The use of traditional methods based on grammar rules makes it difficult to use language as a means of communication (Gömleksiz, 2000). In this context, it is important to examine what types of methods and techniques English teachers employ in their lessons. 518 Vol. 5, No. 11 – Special Issue (EJAR) ISSN: 2181-2020 LPTIENP International Scientific-Practice Conference on “Linguistics and Pedagogical Technologies: International Experience and National Practice” Denau, November 20, 2025 in-academy.uz/index.php/ejar The aim of this study is to systematically analyze the development of academic production on the subject of English teaching methods, which is important in terms of evaluating the existing knowledge base. Bibliometric analysis methods provide powerful tools for revealing fundamental research trends in the field, the most influential authors, collaborations, and knowledge networks (Ahmed & Rashid, 2024). This approach not only helps researchers identify research trends and measure the impact of scientific articles, but also helps researchers, institutions, and countries evaluate their academic performance (Liu vd., 2025). In this study, research on the concept of English teaching methods was analyzed bibliometrically using VOSviewer software. The study examined the distribution of publications in the relevant literature, the most influential authors, institutions, and countries, keyword trends, and research collaborations. These analyses were visualized using VOSviewer software, revealing current research trends and potential areas for development in the field. The aim was to contribute to the field by visualizing the main themes, research trends, and collaboration structures in the literature. METHOD The WOS database search using the keyword “Methods in English Language Teaching” yielded 7,899 results. When articles were included, this number corresponded to 5,628 results. When considering studies conducted within the last 5 years (2021-2025), 2,928 results were obtained. In terms of disciplines, it was determined that the vast majority of studies were in the fields of Education Educational Research 4,607, Linguistics 1,976, Social Sciences Other Topics 685, Computer Science 499, and Psychology 369. The data obtained was examined through author-citation-journal, countryinstitution, and keyword analyses. Content indexed in Web of Science was used as the database criterion. The studies obtained are shown in Table 1. Data Presentation Bibliometrics is defined as a statistical method that can quantitatively analyze articles related to a specific topic using mathematical methods (Kazak ve Kazak, 2023). The VOSviewer program was used in this study. Vosviewer is a program that creates network maps using bibliometric data (data obtained from databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed). These maps visualize the relationships between elements such as authors, institutions, keywords, and articles. Table 1: The studies obtained from the database Data accessed through the Webos database using the concept of Methods in Language Teaching (n: 7,899) When limited to documents in the form of articles in the context of English language teaching (n: 5,628) Publication year of included articles: last five years 2021-2025 (n: 2,928) Graphic 1: Prism flow diagram 519 Vol. 5, No. 11 – Special Issue (EJAR) ISSN: 2181-2020 LPTIENP International Scientific-Practice Conference on “Linguistics and Pedagogical Technologies: International Experience and National Practice” Denau, November 20, 2025 in-academy.uz/index.php/ejar FINDINGS Co-authorship of Authors The co-author analysis was conducted to identify authors with the most connections and collaborations. The network map in the analysis was created based on the criteria of at least 2 publications and at least 1 citation. Within the analysis of authors with the highest connections, 6 authors grouped into 2 clusters and a total of 6 connections were observed. The authors with the most citations are Mohamed & Amr with 190 citations, Moorhouse & Benjamin with 184 citations, and Wang, Xiaochen with 121 citations, while the most connected authors are Abdilkalykov & Kozhanasiridin, Abildina & Saltanat, Amirova & Amina, Belgibayeva & Gulbarshyn, and Kulshayeva & Ainur. The authors who produced the most works were Izadpanah & Siros (8), Waluyo & Budi (6), and Zare & Javad (6). The co-author analysis image for the specified analysis is presented below in Figure 1. Figure 1: Co-author networks demonstrating collaboration between authors Citation of authors The citation network map related to the author citation analysis, conducted with a minimum of 2 publications and a minimum of 1 citation criterion to determine citation relationships and networks, is presented in Figure 2 below. In the analysis conducted on 134 units found to be interconnected, a total of 12 clusters, 286 connections, and a total connection strength of 299 were identified. Within these criteria, the authors receiving the most citations were Roohani & Ali with 8 citations, Zare & 520 Vol. 5, No. 11 – Special Issue (EJAR) ISSN: 2181-2020 LPTIENP International Scientific-Practice Conference on “Linguistics and Pedagogical Technologies: International Experience and National Practice” Denau, November 20, 2025 in-academy.uz/index.php/ejar Javad, Mukminatien & Nur with 6 citations, and Mahdi & Hassan Saleh with 4 citations. However, these authors were not at the top in terms of total connection strength. The Authors' citation networks image for the specified analysis is presented below in Figure 2. Figure 2. Authors' citation networks Citation of countries A citation network map based on the countries of origin of publications in the WOS database has been created and is presented in the table below. In this context, an analysis was conducted on 10 countries with relationships between them, based on the criteria of at least 2 works published and 2 citations received by a country. The analysis revealed the existence of 4 clusters, 36 connections, and a total connection strength of 131. The countries receiving the most citations are China with 81, Iran with 33, the United Kingdom with 31, Malaysia with 22, and the United States with 21. China ranks first in both the number of publications (465) and the number of citations (81). The countries' citation networks image for the specified analysis is presented below in Figure 3. Figure 3. Countries' citation networks Co-occurunce of all keywords The concept of English teaching methods is used in relation to many keywords. This section presents a table of the most frequently used words and which words are used in connection with each other. In this context, when words repeated at least 5 times are included, 156 keywords reached a total of 10 clusters, 1260 connections, and 1591 total connection strength. The most frequently preferred words in studies related to the concept of English teaching methods were higher education with 75 repetitions, English Language Teaching with 62 repetitions, English as a Foreign Language with 66 repetitions, and EFL with 62 repetitions. In terms of total connection strength, higher 521 Vol. 5, No. 11 – Special Issue (EJAR) ISSN: 2181-2020 LPTIENP International Scientific-Practice Conference on “Linguistics and Pedagogical Technologies: International Experience and National Practice” Denau, November 20, 2025 in-academy.uz/index.php/ejar education had 22, EFL had 15, and English Language Teaching had 14. The Co-occurunce of all keywords image for the specified analysis is presented below in Figure 4. Figure 4. Co-occurunce of all keywords Citation of organizations To determine the network map of inter-institutional citations, an analysis was conducted on 125 observation units identified as having a relationship, based on the criterion that an institution must have at least 4 works and at least 4 citations. In the publication ranking, Islamic Azad University ranks first with 32 publications, followed by University Saind Malaysia with 18 publications and Edu University of Hong Kong with 17 publications. In the citation ranking, Hong Kong Edu University ranked first with 234 citations, Islamic Azad University ranked second with 216 citations, and Hong Kong Baptist University ranked third with 204 citations. In terms of total link strength, Hong Kong University ranked first with 15. The Institutional citation networks image for the specified analysis is presented below in Figure 5. Figure 5. Institutional citation networks DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION In this study, academic publications related to the concept of English teaching methods published in Web of Science were analyzed using bibliometric methods, and current trends, collaborations, most frequently used keywords, prominent authors, and thematic densities in this field were visualized using VOSviewer software. Our study examined publications from the last five years and determined that English teaching methods are receiving increasing attention in the literature and that there has been a notable increase in the number of publications in this field, particularly in the last five years. 522 Vol. 5, No. 11 – Special Issue (EJAR) ISSN: 2181-2020 LPTIENP International Scientific-Practice Conference on “Linguistics and Pedagogical Technologies: International Experience and National Practice” Denau, November 20, 2025 in-academy.uz/index.php/ejar In co-authorship analysis, it has been observed that authors tend to cluster to a large extent, with certain names achieving greater productivity through academic collaborations. It is noteworthy that the authors receiving the most citations are not necessarily the strongest names in terms of collaboration. This situation demonstrates that strategic collaborations, not just the number of publications, are a decisive factor in terms of academic impact. According to the international citation analysis, China, Iran, and the United Kingdom are at the forefront in this field in terms of both the number of publications and citations. Turkey, on the other hand, is represented to a limited extent but has gained momentum in recent years. This finding reveals that academic interest in English teaching methods in Turkey is growing but needs to become more visible at the international level. Keyword analysis revealed that the concepts of “higher education,” “English language teaching,” “English as a foreign language,” and “EFL” were frequently repeated. This indicates that English teaching methods are addressed in the literature primarily in the context of higher education and foreign language teaching, and that approaches centered on higher education in particular guide this field. In institutional analyses, the University of Hong Kong, Islamic Azad University, and Hong Kong Baptist University stand out in terms of publication output, while Turkish universities are prominent in terms of citation counts. The high network connectivity of these institutions can be considered an important factor increasing the impact of these universities on the literature. The most frequently used keywords were concepts such as higher education, English as a Foreign Language, and EFL; this indicates that the topic was primarily addressed within the framework of teaching a foreign language in higher education. Recommendations This study suggests that English teaching methods have a direct impact on student learning outcomes in higher education. Educational designers' in-class and scientific research in the field of English teaching methods is important in terms of preparing students for the global community and boosting their confidence in speaking English. When examining studies on English teaching methods, it is observed that a great majority of them have used surveys and scales to analyze language learning in higher education. However, it is also evident that more information and improvements in this field are needed to analyze the effectiveness of English teaching methods. Increasing the publication rate of researchers in Türkiye in this field and developing international collaborations is important for language teaching. Future studies should examine in depth the differences in English teaching methods at the secondary education level, presenting not only quantitative data but also content supported by qualitative analysis. The use of visualizationbased analysis tools such as VOSviewer can guide the development of academic strategies. References: 1. Ahmed, T., & Rashid, D. M. (2024). Science Mapping of English Language Teaching Methods Published in Scopus from 2000 to 2022. 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