Mapping Attribution Research on Academic Achievement in Higher Education: A Bibliometric Review

Existing reviews have summarized attribution theory broadly, yet the rapidly expanding and increasingly fragmented literature on attribution-related factors in higher education (HE) calls for an up-to-date, structured mapping. Framed by Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), this study conducts a bibliometric review to map research on academic achievement in higher education institutions (HEIs), identify dominant thematic clusters, and highlight research fronts and emerging directions. Using the Web of Science Core Collection, we retrieved 333 English-language journal articles and analyzed them in VOSviewer through bibliographic coupling to reveal the contemporary intellectual structure and keyword co-occurrence (co-word analysis) to identify salient topics and conceptual linkages. Bibliographic coupling yielded four thematic clusters: (a) locus of control and attributional beliefs related to motivation and performance; (b) attribution-based motivational pathways for coping with academic stress and improving well-being; (c) locus of control, personality traits, and motivational beliefs in academic and entrepreneurial intentions, and (d) attribution style and self-efficacy supporting engagement and persistence. Consistently, Co-word analysis also produced four clusters, emphasizing locus of control and stress adjustment, attribution theory and self-belief in academic performance, feedback-related causal interpretations, and entrepreneurship-related motivation. Overall, the findings depict a field that is growing rapidly and diversifying conceptually, while still lacking integrative syntheses across clusters and contexts. By consolidating influential works, key concept linkages, and research gaps, this bibliometric review provides an evidence base for future scholarship and for attribution-informed student-success and well-being initiatives aligned with SDG 4.