SynthesisFrontiers in medicine2026
A bibliometric analysis of research on the learning environment in medical schools: trends, gaps, and global perspectives.
Synthesis in Frontiers in medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: The learning environment (LE) is widely recognized as a key focus of medical education scholarship, influencing student motivation, academic performance, professional identity formation, and wellbeing. Despite its recognized importance, a global, comprehensive understanding of research trends, key contributors, and thematic evolution within medical school learning environment (MSLE) research remains limited. Methods: We conducted a bibliometric analysis of 3,458 publications on MSLE published between 2000 to 2025, sourced from Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. The Bibliometrix R package was used for network visualization and bibliometric analyses, examining publication trends, leading countries, institutions, journals, authors, and keywords. Keyword co-occurrence and thematic mapping was used to explore major research themes and their evolution over time. Results: MSLE research has expanded steadily over the past two decades, with contributions from diverse global regions. Leading institutions and journals continue to anchor the field, while emerging topics such as program evaluation, digital pedagogy, and student wellbeing reflect shifting scholarly priorities in medical education. Prominent keyword clusters relate to curriculum, medical education, medical student, learning environment, and perception, demonstrating a balance between foundational and specialized research. Thematic mapping identified central, well-developed domains such as professionalism and program evaluation, alongside emerging and niche topics like online learning and simulation, highlighting both ongoing maturation and diversification of the field. Conclusion: This bibliometric analysis provides a structured overview of global MSLE research, illustrating publication trends, influential contributors, and evolving thematic priorities. The findings indicate that the learning environment has become a central focus of medical education research and highlight the need for greater emphasis on longitudinal, multi-institutional studies, international collaboration, and inclusion of underrepresented regions to inform future research and policy development.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.