Research Trends in Catholic Education through Semantic Network Analysis

[Objective] In this study, we conducted an analysis of Catholic education research trends by utilizing multiple academic paper search engines. Through keyword searches such as ‘Catholic,’ ‘education,’ ‘Catholic education,’ and ‘faith education,’ we identified important keywords, centrality, and performed CONCOR analysis among the papers retrieved. This enabled us to gain insights into the research trends in Catholic education. Departing from conventional literature reviews, it aimed to explore the evolution of research in Catholic education, emphasizing the interrelationships among keywords through an objective and scientific method of keyword network analysis. [Contents] The analysis revealed that the centrality of major keywords in academic journal articles related to Catholic education included terms such as ‘Catholic Church,’ ‘education,’ ‘catechesis,’ ‘faith,’ and ‘Christ.’ In the TF-IDF analysis indicating keyword importance, terms like ‘religious education,’ ‘youth,’ ‘Korea,’ ‘theology,’ and ‘character’ emerged at the forefront. Finally, the CONCOR analysis related to Catholic education research defined groups such as ‘history and direction of catechesis,’ ‘ethical education of educators and schools,’ ‘holistic education in Catholic schools,’ and ‘practical faith education.’ [Conclusion] Through this study, analyzing the trends in Catholic education is expected to broaden the comprehensive understanding of Catholic education from an integrated perspective. Additionally, it offers suggestions for future directions in Catholic education research through this comprehensive analysis.