In the era of globalization, multicultural education has become an important issue in various parts of the world. Multicultural education not only aims to address discrimination, but also to create a more inclusive society by respecting cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity (Selenica, 2018) . This trend reflects the need to educate a generation that can understand, respect, and collaborate in the context of an increasingly pluralistic society (Freire, 2020) . In the academic literature, the development of research related to multicultural education has increased significantly in the past decade, in line with the increasingly complex social challenges faced by the global community (Bekerman et al., 2011), (Stripp et al., 2023) . The bibliometric analysis of this study can provide a clearer picture of the dynamics and trend patterns that are developing in this field.

Although much research has been done on multicultural education, several gaps require further study. One of the main problems is the lack of comprehensive mapping that analyzes research trends globally, especially in a certain time frame (Savchits et al., 2017), (Soudien, 1994) . In this context, the Scopus database as one of the largest academic indices offers rich data to identify publication patterns, collaborations between researchers, dominant themes, and areas that are still unreachable (Razum & Malović, 2023) . However, the use of Scopus to conduct specific bibliometric analysis of multicultural education is still limited. Therefore, this study aims to fill the gap by providing a structured and datadriven analysis (Buller, 2000) .

The main purpose of this study is to analyze the development of multicultural education research trends in the Scopus database during the period 2010 to 2024. The study focuses on several key aspects, such as the number of publications per year, the country of origin of the research, the most productive institutions, international collaborations, and the most frequently used topics or keywords. With this approach, it is hoped that this research can provide a deeper insight into the direction of the development of multicultural education in the global academic arena. In addition, this study also aims to identify potential opportunities and challenges faced in research in this field (Ng, 2023), (Acquah & Commins, 2015) .

Although this study does not have an explicit hypothesis, the basic assumption is that the trend of multicultural education research will show an increase in the number of publications and diversification of themes, in line with the increasing global awareness of diversity issues. In addition, it is assumed that developed countries, which have better research infrastructure, will dominate the contribution in this research. This hypothesis will be tested through comprehensive bibliometric data analysis (Alhashmi et al., 2020) .

The importance of this research cannot be overstated. By understanding multicultural education research trends, academics, policymakers, and education practitioners can identify areas that need greater attention (Ramaekers, 2010) . In addition, the results of this analysis can help improve cross-disciplinary and cross-country collaboration in future research. With a data-based approach, this research is also expected to make a significant contribution to academic literature in the field of multicultural education, especially in understanding how diversity issues are explored in various cultural and geographical contexts (Budirahayu & Saud, 2020), (Pöllmann, 2012) .

Overall, this research aims to make a meaningful contribution to understanding the multicultural education research landscape, while fostering a broader dialogue on the importance of diversity and inclusion in education. Thus, this research is expected to be a reference for future studies in this field (Vukosi et al., 2021), (Bernard-Patel, 2013) .

The Importance and Novelty of the Study. Multicultural education has become an essential pillar in fostering inclusive, equitable, and quality education, aligning with the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 4 (Quality Education) and Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities). In an era of increasing globalization and cultural interconnectivity, ensuring that education systems accommodate diverse perspectives is crucial in promoting social harmony, mutual understanding, and sustainable development. By analyzing the development trends of multicultural education through bibliometric analysis of the Scopus database from 2010 to 2024, this study provides valuable insights into the evolution of this field, identifying key themes, influential authors, and research gaps (Budirahayu & Saud, 2020), (Pöllmann, 2012).

The novelty of this research lies in its systematic and data-driven approach to mapping the progression of multicultural education scholarship over the past decade and a half. While existing literature explores the theoretical and practical aspects of multicultural education, few studies comprehensively analyze its trajectory within the framework of SDGs using bibliometric methods. This study employs a quantitative assessment of global academic contributions, highlighting the dominant research clusters, emerging trends, and geographical distribution of studies. By doing so, it uncovers the extent to which multicultural education aligns with global sustainability goals and identifies areas that require further exploration (Budirahayu & Saud, 2020), (Pöllmann, 2012) .

Moreover, this research contributes to policymaking and curriculum development by offering evidence-based recommendations on how multicultural education can be further integrated into educational systems to support the SDGs. The findings can guide educators, researchers, and policymakers in shaping more inclusive pedagogical strategies that cater to diverse student populations. Additionally, the bibliometric approach provides a replicable framework for future studies seeking to assess the progress of other education-related disciplines about sustainability objectives (Vukosi et al., 2021), (Bernard-Patel, 2013) .

By shedding light on the evolving landscape of multicultural education research, this study underscores its critical role in shaping a more just and inclusive world, ultimately reinforcing the transformative power of education in achieving long-term sustainable development.

This study uses bibliometric analysis to analyze research on multicultural education. The researchers searched Scopus pages from 2010 to 2024 using the Boolean search engine to collect data. Then, they used R and R Studio, Vosviewer, and Microsoft Excel to analyze citations, document content, and networks (Zhukova et al., 2019).

This research has three stages. In the first stage, the researchers conducted a literature review to determine relevant research and appropriate keywords. In the second stage, they used the boolean operator TITLE-ABS-KEY to search Scopus, resulting in 10712 documents. They then filtered the results only to include publications in English and excluded articles in the press and publications by 2024, resulting in 5575 final documents (Awan & Mueller, 1996).

In the third stage, the researchers analyzed the final document search using R Studio to determine the number of documents per year by journal, author, affiliation, country, and subject/field. They also used Vosviewer and Microsoft Excel to analyze co-authorship, events, and bibliometric coupling to map the development of research on multicultural education trends from 2010 to 2024 (Goldin et al., 2017).

Figure 1. Explaining The flowchart shows three main stages in the bibliometric analysis of multicultural education. The first stage involves keyword identification and publication search with 10,712 initial results (Barros Camargo, 2020), (Schnarrer, 2005). The second stage screens documents to 5,575 according to the inclusion criteria. The third stage analyzes the document using tools such as Scopus, VOSviewer, and MS Excel to generate a map of the development and direction of the research.

Figure 2. The horizontal chart above shows annual data from 2010 to 2024, with values varying between 7 to 17. There was a significant increase in 2023 with the highest score of 17 (Jonsson et al., 2002). Previous years have shown fluctuations, but in general, the trend tends to increase. Other peaks occurred in 2020, 2021, and 2014 with values close to 15-16, Figure 10. also provides data that, the theme graph shows the distribution based on degree of relevance (centrality) and development (density) (Warren & Hytten, 2004),(Sleeter, 2011). The theme "Human, Humans, Education" in the Motor Themes quadrant reflects an established and rapidly growing theme. "Language, Psychology, Student" in Basic Themes indicates basic and relevant topics. Themes like "Social Justice" in Niche Themes focus on specific issues with narrower relevance. The Emerging/Declining quadrant indicates less developed topics, such as "Russian Federation" and "Biomedical Research", reflecting areas that need further exploration.

A bibliometric analysis of multicultural education trends in the Scopus database (2010-2024) revealed a significant increase in the number of publications and the scope of themes. Based on keyword analysis, themes such as "Multicultural Education," "Education," and "Higher Education" form the core of the research, reflecting a focus on cultural literacy and global educational competence. The cooccurrence diagram shows the close relationship between the themes of "Human," "Cultural Diversity," and "Professional Competence," highlighting the relevance of multicultural education issues to diversity and professional development. Through Bradford's legal method, core journals such as Clinical Neuropsychologists and the Mediterranean Journal of Language and Education dominate publications on this topic, with the distribution of research mostly coming from the United States. The large proportion of single authors (98.1%) compared to collaboration shows the limitations of a multidisciplinary perspective, although the opportunity for international collaboration is seen in contributions from countries such as the UK and Canada (Adon, 2021) . Thematic mapping divides the research into four quadrants, where themes such as "Human, Humans, Education" grow rapidly as the motor themes, while "Language, Psychology, Student" is the basis of the research (Haswani & Simbolon, 2023) . Specific themes such as "Social Justice" in niche themes reflect a deep focus on social justice issues in the context of education. Some themes such as "Biomedical Research" are emerging themes, indicating opportunities for further exploration (Nizamova, 2016) . Overall, multicultural education shows a significant growth trend with a focus on cultural diversity, cross-cultural competence, and the development of global education policies. However, cross-country and interdisciplinary collaboration needs to be enhanced to enrich the perspective and impact of research (Roseberry-McKibbin et al., 2005) .

The authors would like to thank all parties involved in this research, especially Universitas Muhammadiyah Kudus Indonesia, STAI-YAPTIP (Sekolah Tinggi Agama Islam-Yayasan Perguruan Tinggi Islam Pasaman) Indonesia, and Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria. Hopefully, this scientific article can provide benefits for the advancement of science at the world level.

The authors contributed equally to this paper, some are the chairman, member, financier, article translator, and final editor. The authors read and approved the final paper.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.