Abstract: The year 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the term information literacy on a global scale. This study applies the BERTopic topic modeling method to identify 44 major research topics in global information literacy education over the past five decades. These topics are categorized into five thematic clusters: (1) pedagogical practices in information literacy education, (2) information literacy education driven by digital and intelligent technologies, (3) information literacy education targeting specific populations, (4) disciplinary applications of information literacy education, and (5) social and ethical issues in information literacy education. Five key topics are highlighted: librarian-faculty collaboration in higher education, nurses’ information literacy, health information literacy, teachers’ ICT competence and skill development, and information literacy in the context of artificial intelligence. By tracking topic-specific keywords, this study outlines five stages in the evolution of research: the conceptual dissemination stage, the technological impact stage, the connotation expansion stage, the convergence of multiple literacies stage, and the stage influenced by major societal events. Over the past 50 years, three prominent characteristics have shaped the development of global information literacy education research: (1) consistent focus on higher education and academic libraries across all stages; (2) a distinct phase-based impact of technology on information literacy education; and (3) the influence of changing educational environments on the content and form of information literacy instruction. Finally, six future directions are proposed for global research and practice in information literacy education: strengthening theoretical study of information literacy education, emphasizing the development of standards and assessment systems, diversifying the contexts for information use, enhancing the roles of both the academic library community and the information industry, fostering nationwide collaboration, and boosting China’s international influence in the field.

Key words: Information literacy, Information literacy education, Fifty years, Theme identification, Theme evolution