<b>Bibliometric analysis of pre-service teachers’ errors in mathematics education </b>

Source abstract

Purpose – This study addresses dispersed findings in higher education mathematical error research by conducting a bibliometric and qualitative review of literature from 2016 to 2025, focusing on developments since 2020 to clarify the field's evolution. Methodology – The study employs bibliometric methods to examine publication trends, influential authors, and thematic structures via keyword co-occurrence. Simultaneously, a qualitative thematic synthesis classifies reported errors by type, mathematical domain, and explanatory framework. Findings – Research output is increasing, particularly in studies related to calculus, engineering education, and teacher education. Conceptual and procedural errors predominate, driven by weak foundations and representation difficulties, while strategic and justification-related errors remain under-researched. Novelty – This study uniquely integrates bibliometric mapping with qualitative synthesis to provide a dual-layered overview of the field’s intellectual structure and dominant error patterns, a synthesis not previously systematically executed. Significance – The results provide researchers and educators with a roadmap of prevalent error types, offering evidence-based directions for improving instructional design and curriculum development in higher education mathematics.