Work Engagement Research among Higher Education Teachers (2010– 2025): A CiteSpace Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

This study maps the thematic evolution and emerging research frontiers of work engagement among higher education teachers (2010–2025) using bibliometric knowledge mapping. Based on 327 articles and reviews retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection, CiteSpace was used to analyze institutional collaboration and keyword co-occurrence, and to perform clustering, burst detection, and timeline visualization. The results indicate rapid publication growth over the past decade, reflecting sustained scholarly interest in engagement in higher education. However, institutional contributions remain widely distributed but weakly consolidated: many institutions publish only once, and a substantial proportion are isolated, pointing to fragmented and short-lived collaboration networks. Keyword and cluster patterns converge on an engagement–work context– outcomes structure linking work engagement with job demands and resources, burnout and well-being, job satisfaction, performance, and turnover-related outcomes. Burst and timeline analyses further suggest a shift from early emphasis on individual and contextual antecedents toward mechanism-oriented and relational/identity perspectives, alongside growing attention to sustainable academic work and organizational support. Overall, the field would benefit from stronger cross-institutional collaboration, clearer construct boundaries (work versus job/employee engagement), and integrative theorizing (e.g., JD–R, self-determination, and social identity) to enable more comparable operationalizations and actionable interventions in higher education.