Emerging Technologies in Pre-Service Teacher Education: A Bibliometric Mapping of Global Research Trends (2015–2024)
Abstract
The integration of emerging technologies into pre-service teacher education has become an increasingly prominent focus in educational research. To capture the state of the art in this field, this study conducted a bibliometric analysis of 1,477 Scopus-indexed journal articles published between 2015 and 2025. Statistical and visual analyses of the retrieved literature indicate a steady growth in publications, with notable peaks coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated digital adoption in teacher training. The findings reveal that the most influential authors and frameworks, particularly TPACK, continue to shape scholarly discourse, while cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, gamification, and learning analytics represent emerging themes. Co-occurrence and clustering analyses identified seven major thematic groups, spanning from advanced digital tools and instructional applications to teacher preparation, digital competence, and blended learning contexts. These clusters highlight the multidimensional nature of technology integration, linking innovative digital practices with pedagogical and institutional concerns. Moreover, the collaboration network analysis shows strong international partnerships, with the United States, Australia, China, and several European and Asian countries acting as central hubs. This study contributes to the field by providing a comprehensive mapping of global research trends, intellectual structures, and future directions in pre-service teacher education and emerging technologies. The results offer valuable insights for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to design adaptive and evidence-based teacher preparation programs that align with the demands of 21st-century education.
Keywords
References
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/e.v25i2.104234
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