Global Research Trends in Dialogic Speech Development among Preschool Children with Speech Underdevelopment: A Bibliometric Analysis (2005–2025)

Abstract

Dialogic speech development in preschool children with speech and language underdevelopment is a significant area of research because of its close relationship with communication, literacy, and school readiness. However, the global scientific landscape and thematic evolution of this field have not been systematically examined. This study aimed to analyze international research trends in dialogic speech development among preschool children with speech and language underdevelopment through a bibliometric analysis of publications indexed in the Scopus database between 2005 and 2025. A bibliometric research design based on a systematic literature search and selection process following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines was employed. A total of 190 English-language research articles were analyzed using VOSviewer to examine publication trends, author productivity, geographical distribution, subject areas, keyword co-occurrence, source co-citation, and international scientific collaboration. The findings indicate sustained scientific interest in dialogic speech development despite fluctuations in annual publication output. Research activity is concentrated primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom and is grounded in speech-language pathology, developmental psychology, education, linguistics, and communication sciences. Keyword co-occurrence analysis revealed three main themes: speech and language development, narrative competence and clinical intervention, and storytelling in preschool education. Source co-citation analysis further revealed that the field’s intellectual structure is dominated by clinical and psycholinguistic paradigms, whereas culturally grounded narrative traditions and folklore-based educational approaches remain comparatively underrepresented. These findings provide a comprehensive overview of the field and highlight the need for future interdisciplinary research integrating narrative-based interventions with culturally responsive pedagogical practices and culturally grounded storytelling traditions, including Kazakh folk tales, within inclusive early childhood education.