This study conducted a bibliometric analysis and knowledge mapping visualization of the Journal of Engineering Education (JEE) documents from 2005 to 2019 using CiteSpace and VOSviewer. Key variables such as research institutions, authors, keywords, cited documents, research hotspots, and frontiers were analyzed. Findings indicate that core research institutions in engineering education are predominantly concentrated in colleges of engineering and schools of engineering education. A significant proportion of highly productive authors possess interdisciplinary backgrounds in STEM fields, with U.S.-based institutions holding a significant advantage in publication volume within this field. Cluster analysis identified nine major research clusters: problem-based learning, belonging, conceptual learning, virtual laboratory, problem solving, gender, assessment tools, professional skills, and active learning. The study systematically mapped the knowledge structure and distribution of research hotspots in engineering education, drawing three key conclusions. First, The transformation of the American engineering education system exhibits correlations with its industrialization process, necessitating in-depth examination of the operational mechanisms underlying exemplary international models of engineering education. Second, the increasing number of existing studies at the epistemological and methodological levels of engineering education indicates that research on engineering education has gradually reached a systematization of research. Third, future studies should expand into the ethical, social, and socio-psychological dimensions of engineering education to advance the field. This research provides a comprehensive overview of the knowledge structure and evolving trends in engineering education research.