A Bibliometric Analysis of Studies on Executive Functions and Reading in the Field of Education

Abstract

Executive functions are one of the most prominent research topics investigated in explaining reading skills, which involve complex cognitive processes. In this study, a bibliometric analysis of articles on executive functions and reading in the field of education was conducted. In the study, 42 articles published between 2012 and 2024 were accessed using the Web of Science database, and the analyses were carried out using the VOSviewer program. As a result of the study, an increase was observed in the number of articles on executive functions and reading in recent years, with three peaks (2018, 2020, and 2023). The examined articles were mostly published in well-established scientific journals with the highest impact factor in the field of reading. Keyword analysis revealed that reading comprehension was one of the most popular concepts. Moreover, it was determined that the role of working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility in the decoding process was discussed less than their role in reading comprehension. Finally, in the abstracts of the articles, the terms student and child were included as strong links and were among the most frequently repeated terms. This finding is important in that it particularly emphasizes the importance of executive functions in childhood.