Curriculum-based ideological and political education (CIPE) is a major policy priority in Chinese higher education. It has particular relevance to architecture-related programmes, where studio and planning work requires students to link technical choices to public interests, cultural heritage, ecological responsibilities and professional ethics. Yet the structure and changing emphases of CIPE research in these disciplines have not been systematically examined. We analysed 733 CNKI journal records published between 2018 and 2026 using CiteSpace 7.0.1. Annual output, keyword co-occurrence, clustering, timelines and burst detection were examined. Publications increased sharply from 2018 to 2022 and remained numerous from 2023 to 2025. The network contained 292 nodes and 758 links. CIPE occupied the most central position, while teaching reform, landscape architecture, instructional design, ideological and political education, architecture and urban–rural planning formed the principal related themes. The 12 clusters linked curriculum and teaching design with disciplinary contexts, rural revitalization, implementation pathways, collaborative education and labour education. Timeline and burst results show a movement towards course design, practice-based learning, curriculum construction and digitally supported teaching. The analysis identifies patterns of publication and themes in the literature. Evidence on student learning, assessment systems and implementation in authentic project settings is still required.

Jun Shao, Tianci Liu, Mapping Research Hotspots and Evolutionary Trends in Curriculum-based Ideological and Political Education Reform in Architecture-related Undergraduate Programmes: A CiteSpace Analysis. International Journal of Educational Innovation and Science (2026), Vol. 7, Issue 1: 135-143. https://doi.org/10.38007/IJEIS.2026.070117.

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