Mapping dominant knowledge structure of research on education for gross national happiness, 2004-2021: a bibliometric review

The development of education based on the philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH) transferred into the education system in Bhutan and influenced international education. The study aimed to explore the knowledge base landscape, to determine the leading impacting authors and literature, and visualize the intellectual structure of education for GNH knowledge base. The systematic review, following the PRISMA guidelines, identified 47 English-language Scopus-indexed documents, including journal articles, books, book chapters, and conference papers, published from 2004 to 2021. The research found the literature concentrated in various disciplines, including general education, science education, inclusive education, medical education, higher education, teacher education, holistic education, early childhood education, environmental management, and other social sciences. The trajectory of publications showed the highest growth between 2015 and 2020. The geographical distribution focused on Bhutan and OECD countries as Australia, the UK, and the US. The research analyzed prominent quantitative studies. It identified authors with their significant contribution to the literature, categorizing them into three schools of thought, including conceptualization and knowledge movement in education for GNH, education for social impact, and school culture. Several implications and recommendations were proposed to improve the literature review towards future studies.