School Social Work Research from 1980 to the Present: A Bibliometric Analysis of Global Trends and Intellectual Structure

Öz

School social work plays an important role in promoting students’ well-being, educational participation, and psychosocial support within school systems. However, the long-term development, intellectual foundations, collaboration patterns, and thematic evolution of this field have not been sufficiently mapped from a global perspective. This study provides a bibliometric analysis of school social work research published between 1980 and 2024. Data were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection, and 571 publications were analyzed using performance analysis and science mapping techniques. The findings show that publication and citation activity increased markedly after 2005, with the strongest growth observed after 2016. The United States emerged as the dominant contributor, while China, Israel, Canada, and several European countries represented smaller but growing research contexts. Co-authorship and co-citation analyses revealed a compact intellectual core shaped by influential scholars, institutions, and journals, particularly around school-based practice, mental health, educational inequality, crisis intervention, and school safety. Keyword patterns indicate a gradual shift from role- and practice-oriented discussions toward broader ecological, interdisciplinary, evidence-informed, and justice-oriented perspectives. Overall, the findings suggest that school social work scholarship has matured as an academic field but remains concentrated within a limited set of countries, institutions, and intellectual networks. Future research should strengthen international collaboration, theoretical integration, methodological diversity, and child-centered perspectives.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• School social work
• school social worker
• Bibliometric analysis
• Intellectual structure
• Collaboration networks
• Thematic trends

1980’den Günümüze Okul Sosyal Hizmeti Araştırmaları: Küresel Eğilimler ve Entelektüel Yapı Üzerine Bibliyometrik Bir Analiz

Öz

Okul sosyal hizmeti, okul sistemleri içinde öğrencilerin iyi oluşunun, eğitime katılımının ve psikososyal açıdan desteklenmesinin geliştirilmesinde önemli bir rol oynamaktadır. Bununla birlikte, bu alanın uzun dönemli gelişimi, entelektüel temelleri, iş birliği örüntüleri ve tematik evrimi küresel bir perspektiften yeterince haritalandırılmamıştır. Bu çalışma, 1980–2024 yılları arasında yayımlanan okul sosyal hizmeti araştırmalarının bibliyometrik bir analizini sunmaktadır. Veriler Web of Science Core Collection’dan elde edilmiş ve 571 yayın performans analizi ile bilim haritalama teknikleri kullanılarak incelenmiştir. Bulgular, yayın ve atıf etkinliğinin 2005 sonrasında belirgin biçimde arttığını ve en güçlü büyümenin 2016’dan sonra gerçekleştiğini göstermektedir. Amerika Birleşik Devletleri alana en fazla katkı sağlayan ülke olarak öne çıkarken Çin, İsrail, Kanada ve bazı Avrupa ülkeleri daha sınırlı ancak gelişmekte olan araştırma bağlamlarını temsil etmiştir. Ortak yazarlık ve ortak atıf analizleri; özellikle okul temelli uygulama, ruh sağlığı, eğitimsel eşitsizlik, krize müdahale ve okul güvenliği konuları etrafında etkili araştırmacılar, kurumlar ve dergiler tarafından şekillenen yoğunlaşmış bir entelektüel çekirdeğin bulunduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Anahtar kelime örüntüleri, rol ve uygulama odaklı tartışmalardan daha geniş ekolojik, disiplinler arası, kanıt temelli ve adalet odaklı bakış açılarına doğru kademeli bir yönelim olduğunu göstermektedir. Bulgular bir bütün olarak değerlendirildiğinde, okul sosyal hizmeti literatürünün akademik bir alan olarak olgunlaştığı, ancak hâlen sınırlı sayıdaki ülke, kurum ve entelektüel ağda yoğunlaştığı görülmektedir. Gelecekteki araştırmaların uluslararası iş birliğini, kuramsal bütünleşmeyi, yöntemsel çeşitliliği ve çocuk merkezli yaklaşımları güçlendirmesi gerekmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Okul sosyal hizmeti
• Okul sosyal hizmet uzmanı
• Bibliyometrik analiz
• Entelektüel yapı
• İş birliği ağları
• Tematik eğilimler

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