ROLE OF TOUCHSCREEN DEVICES AND MOBILE APPLICATIONS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v22n2.4684Keywords:
Early Childhood, Media in Education, Mobile Learning, Mobile Apps, Bibliometric AnalysisAbstract
This study maps research on touchscreen, mobile, tablet applications in early childhood education between 2012 and 2025, emphasizing their implications for child development and learning. Using the Web of Science Core Collection, 403 articles were analysed with the Bibliometrix R Package, Biblioshiny, and VOSviewer. The analysis identified publishing trends, core journals, leading authors, and emerging topics. Findings show that JMIR mHealth and uHealth, Frontiers in Psychology, and Computers & Education are among the most productive journals, while the United States, the United Kingdom, and China are leading contributors. Keyword analyses highlight terms such as “child,” “early childhood,” “intervention,” “technology,” and “skills,” reflecting a growing focus on behavioural processes, skill acquisition, and developmental outcomes. As the first bibliometric study focusing on touchscreen and mobile applications, this research offers insights into technology-mediated interventions and their links to children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development, while stressing the need for more longitudinal and cross-cultural studies.
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