Topic Modeling of Research Paradigms: A Comprehensive Review of Research on International Students

• In Event: Thoughts on international education

Abstract

This study explores the evolution of international student research by analyzing the abstracts of 6,772 articles published between 1988 and 2025, indexed in the Web of Science. Employing a semantic-based topic modeling analysis, we identified 109 research topics, 25 of which emerged as sustained paradigms over time. Guided by Mannheim’s sociology of knowledge and Kuhn’s theory of paradigm shift, we interpret these trends as responses to socio-political changes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study contributes to a comprehensive mapping of research trajectories and paradigmatic changes in international student scholarship, offering critical insights into how academic inquiry is influenced by the external environment arguably.

Authors

• YoungHoon Koh, The University of Arizona

• Seongjin Park, Speak