ISSN: 2226-6348
Open access
Cultural sustainability in education is crucial for preserving cultural heritage and fostering societal resilience and inclusivity. Despite being recognised by institutions like UNESCO as a cornerstone of sustainable development, its integration into education remains fragmented. Current practices often focus on isolated cultural elements rather than adopting a systemic approach. They limit the potential of education to address the evolving dynamics of cultural traditions. A significant gap exists in developing holistic frameworks for embedding cultural sustainability into education. Existing methods frequently fail to adapt to the dynamic nature of cultural traditions. It reduces their relevance and practical application in modern education. This study employed a bibliometric analysis to evaluate the research landscape of cultural sustainability in education. By analysing publications from 2015 onward, it identified leading authors, universities, countries, documents, subject areas, journals and number of publications. The findings revealed a growing academic interest in cultural sustainability, with notable contributions from Nordic institutions and researchers. Publications frequently highlighted interdisciplinary intersections across social sciences, environmental studies and digital technologies. However, research gaps persist in underrepresented regions and in translating theoretical insights into actionable frameworks for education. The integration of cultural sustainability into education can safeguard cultural heritage while supporting global sustainable development goals, such as quality education (SDG 4) and sustainable communities (SDG 11). To achieve this, collaboration between academia, policymakers and local communities is essential to adapt educational practices to evolving cultural and technological contexts. Future research should prioritise underrepresented regions and emphasise interdisciplinary approaches that leverage emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Longitudinal studies and international collaborations are necessary to develop frameworks linking cultural preservation with sustainable educational practices globally. By addressing these gaps, education can become a transformative tool for cultural sustainability and global development.
Druker-Ibáñez, S., & Cáceres-Jensen, L. (2022). Integration of Indigenous and local knowledge into sustainability education: A systematic literature review. Environmental Education Research, 28(8), 1209 1236. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2083081
Fatori?, S., & Egberts, L. (2020). Realising the potential of cultural heritage to achieve climate change actions in the Netherlands. Journal of Environmental Management, 274, 111107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111107
Gonzales, J. (2021). Makyung in contemporary Malaysia: Strategies for preservation and proliferation. Journal of Dance Education, 21(2), 82–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/15290824.2019.1683564
Haghighat, M., & Hayatdavoudi, J. (2020). How hot are hot papers? The issue of prolificacy and self-citation stacking. Scientometrics, 126(1), 565 578. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-020-03749-2
Hardy, I., Heikkinen, H., Pennanen, M., Salo, P., & Kiilakoski, T. (2021). The ‘spirit of the times’: Fast policy for educational reform in Finland. Policy Futures in Education, 19(7), 770-791. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210320971530
Nuryani, W., & Kusumastuti, E. (2024). Javanese art conservation in Indonesia inheriting potentials of local wisdom through Wayang Wong Bocah. Research in Dance Education, 25(2), 234–249. https://doi.org/10.1080/14647893.2022.2062317
Johnson, S. J., De La Piedra, M. T., Sanmiguel?López, A., & Pérez?Piza, M. (2022). Mexican?heritage children’s learning of Ballet Folklórico: Herencia, Familia, y Orgullo. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 53(2), 130–148. https://doi.org/10.1111/aeq.12410
Kapelari, S., Alexopoulos, G., Moussouri, T., Sagmeister, K. J., & Stampfer, F. (2020). Food heritage makes a difference: The Importance of cultural knowledge for improving education for sustainable food choices. Sustainability, 12(4), 1509. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041509
Kjøde, S., Velden, M., & Motevallian, M. (2021). Sustainability concepts in nordic business research: A critical perspective. Sustainability, 13(9), 5160. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13095160
Komatsu, H., Silova, I., & Rappleye, J. (2023). Education and environmental sustainability: Culture matters. Journal of International Cooperation in Education, 25(1), 108-123. https://doi.org/10.1108/jice-04-2022-0006
Lin, R., Lin, P.-H., Chiang, I.-Y., & Yen, C.-C. (2023). From Hi-Tech to Hi-Touch: A Global perspective of design education and practice. Education Sciences, 13(3), 314. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13030314
Luo, H., & Gao, P. (2024). Intercultural learning through Chinese-American telecollaboration: Results of a song sharing project. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 37(1-2), 85-113. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2022.2026405
Ma, Q. (2023). Integrating traditional ritual dance and minority culture of Western Hunan into dance instruction: Utilising information technology to preserve China’s intangible heritage. Digital Scholarship in the Humanities, 38(2), 635–646. https://doi.org/10.1093/llc/fqac057
Malhotra, N. (2024). A systematic literature review study on the social inclusion of the Indigenous People. Sustainable Pathways, 41-69. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83549-490-520241005
Mazzocchi, F. (2022). Diving deeper into the concept of ‘cultural heritage’ and its relationship with epistemic diversity. Social Epistemology, 36(3), 393–406. https://doi.org/10.1080/02691728.2021.2023682
Nair, V., & Yunus, M. M. (2021). A systematic review of digital storytelling in improving speaking skills. Sustainability, 13(17), 9829. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179829
Nash, B. L., & Brady, R. B. (2022). Video games in the secondary English language arts classroom: A state?of?the?Art review of the literature. Reading Research Quarterly, 57(3), 957-981. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.454
Ordonez-Ponce, E. (2021). The role of institutional context for sustainability cross-sector partnerships. An exploratory analysis of European cities. Sustainability, 13(17), 9497. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179497
Oxford University Press. (n.d.). Heritage. In Oxford Learner’s Dictionary. Oxford University Press. https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/heritage
Pérez-Guilarte, Y., Gusman, I., & Lois González, R. C. (2023). Understanding the significance of cultural heritage in society from preschool: An educational practice with student teachers. Heritage, 6(9), 6172–6188. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6090324
Petryshyn, W. R. (2024). Responding to the calls to action of the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Impact of Multiculturalism on Public Education, 50 Years Later, 10, 232-256. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004712782_014
Plakhotnik, M. S. (2022). Co?authoring with undergraduate students: An emerging process from the semi?periphery of the world of science. Learned Publishing, 35(3), 332-340. https://doi.org/10.1002/leap.1469
Somby, H. M., & Olsen, T. A. (2022). Inclusion as indigenisation? Sami perspectives in teacher education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2022.2127495
Tao, Y., & Tao, Y. (2024). Integrating aesthetic education in quality education: A bibliometric analysis of sustainable development perspectives. Sustainability, 16(2), 855. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020855
Ullah, A., Pinglu, C., Ullah, S., Abbas, H. S., & Khan, S. (2021). The role of E-governance in combating COVID-19 and promoting sustainable development: A comparative study of China and Pakistan. Chinese Political Science Review, 6(1), 86-118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41111-020-00167-w
UNESCO. (2009). Cultural Heritage. In UNESCO Framework for Cultural Statistics. UNESCO Institute for Statistics.https://uis.unesco.org/en/glossaryterm/cultural-heritage
Valoma, L. (2024). Decolonising cultural policy: The cultural and linguistic rights of the Sami in Finland. European Journal of Cultural Management and Policy, 14, 12741. https://doi.org/10.3389/ejcmp.2024.12741
Weuffen, S., Lowe, K., Burgess, C., & Thompson, K. (2023). Sovereign and pseudo-hosts: The politics of hospitality for negotiating culturally nourishing schools. The Australian Educational Researcher, 50(1), 131-146. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-022-00599-0
Zhuoma, D., & Hae, J. E. (2024). Relationship between visual image art and dance teaching. Computers in Human Behavior, 161, 108270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2024.108270
Zhou, L., & Saearani, M. F. T. (2025). Bridging Traditions and Knowledge: A Bibliometric Review on Cultural Sustainability in Education. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 14(1), 662–684.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode