Charting the Development of Robot-Assisted Social-Emotional Learning: Mapping Its Intellectual Foundations, Thematic Foci, and Evolution.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) has become increasingly central to educational policy and lifelong development, while advances in robotics have opened new possibilities for supporting socio-emotional competencies through human-robot interaction. Despite the rapid growth of robot-assisted SEL research, this field remains fragmented, with limited understanding of its intellectual structure, thematic foci, and evolution. To address this gap, this study conducted a scientometric analysis of 241 publications indexed in Web of Science using bibliometric methods. Results indicate a steady growth trajectory, with research concentrated in a small number of core countries driving international collaboration. Influential publications and co-citation patterns reveal a strong foundation in autism-related interventions and child-centered social skill development. Thematic mapping shows that motor themes are dominated by soft skills, autism, and interaction design, while emotion recognition and affective computing form technically mature but specialized streams. Foundational concepts such as human-robot interaction and artificial intelligence remain central yet theoretically evolving. Emerging links between robotics, STEM, and project-based learning suggest ongoing pedagogical expansion. This study maps the intellectual and thematic structure of robot-assisted SEL, showing how robots are emerging as mediational agents in hybrid learning systems while revealing uneven integration and misalignments between technological capabilities and pedagogical foundations.