Prior Knowledge and Learning: A Bibliometric Analysis of a Fragmented Field of Research

Prior knowledge is a prime predictor of learning outcomes. Thus far, the effects of prior knowledge has been studied regarding various content areas and in many different scientific fields. This fragmentation of the field may hinder scientific progress. Thus, an integrating overview of research on this topic is needed. The overall aim of this exploratory study is to provide an overview of the field of prior knowledge in learning contexts by bibliometrically analyzing publications in psychology, educational sciences, and medical sciences. A total of 13 research questions will be addressed, referring to five areas: (1) topics, theories, and research methods of prior knowledge research, (2) methods and samples in educational settings, (3) prevalence of theoretically relevant terms, (4) publication outlets, and (5) subfields of psychology. Publication records and metadata will be collected from PsycINFO, PSYNDEX, ERIC, MEDLINE, and Web of Science. English-language research published between 1980 and 2020 will be included. Besides basic text statistics and frequency analyses, Structural Topic Modeling will be applied for topic identification. unknown other