Exploring 22 years of research on mobile educational games: A bibliometric analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol11iss1pp50-63Abstract
Background and Purpose: Digital educational technologies have optimised educational methods while enabling the integration of education and games. Whereas previous studies have explored the modules of educational games design, development and evaluation separately, a comprehensive study is still lacking. Therefore, this study uses bibliometrics to provide an in-depth analysis of the full flow of mobile educational games research over the past 22 years, including identifying core authors, analysing key organisations, exploring key countries/areas, and revealing research hotspots.
Methodology: In order to explore research related to the design, development and evaluation of mobile educational games between 2003 and 2024, this study searched 1,048 articles through the Web of Science (WoS) database and conducted quantitative analyses of core authors, organisations, countries/areas, and keywords using the VOSviewer software.
Findings: The bibliometric analysis shows that there are a total of 137 core authors in the field of mobile educational games. There is a high collaboration intensity between Utrecht University and University of Amsterdam. The USA, China and England are the core countries. The research themes were focused on basic education, learning effectiveness, and technological innovation, respectively.
Contributions: This research can be a comprehensive resource for researchers interested in the design, development and evaluation of mobile educational games.
Keywords: Mobile Educational Games, Design, Development, Evaluation, Bibliometric Analysis.
Cite as: Tan, J. Y., Abd Majid, M. Z., & Abdul Karim, A. (2026). Exploring 22 years of research on mobile educational games: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 11(1), 50-63. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol11iss1pp50-63
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