A review of research on achievement gap, 1934 to 2023

In this comprehensive bibliometric review, we investigate temporal trends, key scholars, influential publications, and the intellectual structure and thematic focus of research on inequality in educational outcomes (often referred to as ‘achievement gaps’). By examining 1,607 studies between 1934 and 2023, we find that the scholarship on the topic of the achievement gap has evolved through four distinct stages: pre-1960, 1960–1999, 2000–2010, and post-2010. Author co-citation analysis reveals six major schools of thought that underpin how scholars conceptualise and study the achievement gap: Child Development, Economic and Policy Analysis, Social Contexts of Schools, Schooling Process, School Discipline, and Psychological Dynamics. Our findings underscore the need for more interconnected, interdisciplinary approaches that integrate various paradigms to address the achievement gap systematically. We advocate for future research to move beyond isolated impacts by promoting collaborative efforts among all stakeholders across multiple disciplines.