Portfolio-Based Assessment in Early Childhood Education: A Bibliometric Mapping of Scopus Publications, 2016-2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24256/tunascendekia.v9i2.13068Keywords:
portfolio-based assessment, early childhood education, bibliometric analysis, e-portfolio, pedagogical documentationAbstract
Portfolio-based assessment is widely used to document early childhood learning; however, research in this area remains fragmented and has not yet been systematically mapped. This study maps the development and knowledge structure of research on portfolio-based assessment in early childhood education (ECE). A bibliometric analysis was conducted on Scopus-indexed articles published between 2016 and 2026. Following the screening process, 45 articles were analyzed using Bibliometrix (Biblioshiny) in R through performance analysis, keyword co-occurrence network analysis, and thematic mapping. The field has grown at an annual rate of 11.61%, with two to five articles published annually until 2024, followed by seven articles in 2025 and nine in 2026. The articles were distributed across 35 sources and involved 91 authors, with only 4.4% involving international collaboration. The most highly cited articles addressed e-portfolios, digital documentation, parent–teacher communication, and children's participation. Keyword analysis revealed a core cluster linking ECE with assessment and documentation, as well as a second cluster comprising general educational terms centered on portfolios. In the thematic map, portfolio-related and general terms were positioned in the motor themes quadrant, whereas ECE, e-portfolios, and assessment were located in the emerging or declining themes quadrant, indicating the potential for further development in digital assessment. Future research should address data ethics and children's participation in digital portfolios, teachers' assessment literacy and digital competence, and longitudinal evidence. These findings are limited to English-language articles indexed in Scopus.
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