Studies on Chatbots in Education Over 14 Years: A Bibliometric Study

With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, chatbots have become increasingly integrated into educational settings, offering personalized learning experiences, real-time feedback, and enhanced student engagement. While global interest in educational chatbots is growing, regional trends within Southeast Asia, particularly the ASEAN countries, remain underexplored. This study investigates the research landscape of chatbot applications in education across ASEAN through a bibliometric analysis of 215 publications indexed in Lens.org from 2010 to 2024. Using VOSviewer, the study conducted co-authorship analysis to examine research collaborations, keyword co-occurrence to identify prevailing themes, citation analysis to assess influential publications, and bibliometric coupling to explore thematic linkages. Results indicate that Malaysia leads the region in terms of publication volume, though regional collaboration remains limited. Key research themes include artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, curriculum development, and adaptive learning, demonstrating the growing role of chatbots in pedagogical innovation. Influential sources are predominantly technology-focused journals, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the field. The findings reveal a maturing but unevenly distributed research environment, with emerging trends pointing to the increasing relevance of conversational AI in education. The study highlights the need for stronger international and regional collaboration, particularly within ASEAN, to build a more cohesive research community. It also emphasizes the importance of aligning chatbot development with educational objectives while addressing ethical, usability, and accessibility concerns. Future research should focus on inclusive design and long-term pedagogical impacts to maximize the educational benefits of chatbots.