Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on architectural education: bibliometric and content analyses

PurposeThe impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on architectural education (AE) was investigated, and a framework was proposed to reduce the impacts' negative consequences.Design/methodology/approachSystematic literature review, bibliometric and content analyses were combined to gain an in-depth understanding of the effects of the pandemic on AE and projections for its future. Relevant documents were extracted from the Web of Science (WoS) database. Bibliometric connections in the context of AE and COVID-19 pandemic were explored using text-mining and content analysis was performed.FindingsThe challenges, development tendencies and collaboration networks in AE during the pandemic were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed. The most influential articles, journals, authors and countries/regions were highlighted using a bibliometric analysis. The analysis of keyword tendencies and clusters indicates that new concepts have emerged in AE research during the pandemic involving online, in-person and hybrid education. Using content analysis of 57 subtopics, 39 (18) were categorized as having negative (positive) effects. A comprehensive mitigation framework was designed to reduce the impact of the pandemic on AE.Research limitations/implicationsThe study findings can enable practitioners to construct effective solutions to COVID-19- and other disaster-related problems regarding AE. The implications, obstacles and mitigation framework presented can help identify gaps in the literature and guide further research.Originality/valueThis paper presents the first bibliometric and content analysis of AE and COVID-19 pandemic-related studies published from January 2020 to June 2022 to highlight several research directions and academic development within the field.