Fifty Years of Realistic Mathematics Education Worldwide: Scholarly Impact, Global Reach, and Thematic Development

Abstract

Despite more than half a century of theoretical development and practical implementation, the global progress of Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) remains insufficiently examined through comprehensive scientometric methods. While earlier studies have qualitatively analyzed RME implementations, a research gap persists in understanding the patterns, themes, and international collaborations that have shaped the RME research field. This study addresses that gap by presenting a large-scale bibliometric analysis of 331 Scopus-indexed publications on RME from 1972 to 2024, offering a new quantitative map of the field’s growth, spread, and scholarly impact. The analysis highlights three main developmental phases: a period of modest output before 2010, a steady increase from 2011 to 2018, and a sharp rise from 2019 onward. Major research themes include applying RME in problem-solving instruction, learning pathways, and RME’s role in developing student skills and 21st-century competencies. These findings provide empirical evidence of RME’s growing academic importance and emphasize its strategic relevance in curriculum reform, mathematics teacher training, and pedagogical innovation.