Research Trends in Elementary School Digital Literacy: A Bibliometric Analysis
Abstract
Digital literacy has become an essential competency for primary school teachers in responding to the rapid digital transformation of education. However, studies that comprehensively map the development of research on primary school teachers’ digital literacy remain limited. This study aims to analyze the growth of publications, scientific influence, collaboration patterns, and thematic developments in this field. Using a quantitative bibliometric approach, 313 publications indexed in the Scopus database between 2005 and 2025 were analyzed and visualized using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny. The findings indicate that research on primary school teachers’ digital literacy has grown significantly and has followed three developmental phases: embryonic, growth, and acceleration, reaching its highest productivity in 2025, with 53 publications. The United States dominated scientific production and citation impact, accounting for 200 publications and 1,140 citations, highlighting the concentration of scientific influence within developed countries. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identified digital literacy as the central theme linked to teacher education, pedagogical competence, digital technologies, and professional development. Furthermore, emerging topics such as artificial intelligence and critical literacy indicate an ongoing shift from technology-oriented research toward broader pedagogical and professional concerns. These findings demonstrate that research on primary school teachers’ digital literacy has evolved into a more interdisciplinary field, yet disparities in global scientific influence persist.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/md.v22i1.104397
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