the Mapping Digital Competence Research in Pre-Service Science Teacher Education through a Scopus-Based Bibliometric Analysis (2020–2025)
Abstract
Post-pandemic digital transformation in education requires pre-service science teachers to have strong digital competencies. However, previous studies remain fragmented and have not fully integrated digital learning models with digital competence development. This study aims to map global research trends, identify the intellectual structure, and explore research gaps in this field. A quantitative bibliometric approach was conducted using Scopus-indexed publications from 2020–2025. A total of 30 documents were selected through the PRISMA procedure and analyzed using Bibliometrix (R). The findings show an increasing publication trend, especially in 2021 during the global shift to digital learning. Research was mainly dominated by Asian and European countries, while contributions from developing countries remained limited. Major themes included TPACK, pedagogical innovation, pre-service teacher education, and 21st-century competencies. However, the connection between digital learning design and digital competence development is still limited. This study emphasizes the need for an integrative and sustainable digital learning framework to support the transformation of science teacher education.
Downloads
References
Aguilar, S. J., Galperin, H., Baek, C., & Gonzalez, E. (2021). When school comes home: How low-income families are adapting to distance learning. AERA Open, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584211065740
Anwar, M., & Gistituati, N. (2025). EXARIS model development: Enhancing elementary scientific and digital literacy. Educational Process: International Journal (EDUPIJ), 18, 450. https://doi.org/10.22521/edupij.2025.18.450
Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2017). Bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of Informetrics, 11(4), 959–975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2017.08.007
Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2023). Bibliometrix: Comprehensive science mapping analysis (Version 4.0) [Computer software]. https://www.bibliometrix.org/
Baas, J., Schotten, M., Plume, A., Côté, G., & Karimi, R. (2020). Scopus as a curated, high-quality bibliometric data source for academic research in quantitative science studies. Quantitative Science Studies, 1(1), 377–386. https://doi.org/10.1162/qss_a_00019
Bakir, N., & Alharbi, M. (2024). Digital competency gaps in science teacher education: A systematic review. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 35(2), 145–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/1046560X.2023.2291234
Biko, M. (2025). Pemanfaatan teknologi digital dalam pembelajaran IPA di SD. Jurnal Pendidikan Mosikolah, 4(1), 636–642.
Birkle, C., Pendlebury, D. A., Schnell, J., & Adams, J. (2020). Web of Science as a data source for research on scientific and scholarly activity. Quantitative Science Studies, 1(1), 363–376. https://doi.org/10.1162/qss_a_00018
Bouchrika, I. (2026). 10 online education trends: 2026 predictions, reports & data. Research.com. https://research.com/education/online-education-trends
Chen, C. (2017). Science mapping: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Data and Information Science, 2(2), 1–40. https://doi.org/10.1515/jdis-2017-0006
Cheng, K. H., & Oon, P. T. (2022). STEM education in the digital age: A review of empirical studies on technology-integrated science learning. International Journal of Science Education, 44(8), 1259–1282. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2022.2074567
Crane, D. (1972). Invisible colleges: Diffusion of knowledge in scientific communities. University of Chicago Press.
DataReportal. (2026). Digital 2026: Indonesia. Kepios. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2026-indonesia
de Solla Price, D. J. (1963). Little science, big science. Columbia University Press.
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070
Egghe, L. (2005). Power laws in the information production process: Lotkaian informetrics. Elsevier.
English, L. D. (2016). STEM education K–12: Perspectives on integration. International Journal of STEM Education, 3(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-016-0036-1
European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. (2025). European disaster risk management. European Commission. https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/civil-protection/european-disaster-risk-management_en
European Commission. (2024). Open topic on improving disaster risk management and governance to ensure self-sufficiency and sustainability of operations in support of enhanced resilience (Call: HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-DRS-02). Funding & Tenders Portal. https://www.euro-access.eu/en/calls/2247/
Falloon, G. (2020). From digital literacy to digital competence: The teacher digital competency (TDC) framework. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(5), 2449–2472. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09767-4
Fisch, C., & Block, J. (2018). Six tips for your systematic literature review in business and management research. Management Review Quarterly, 68(2), 103–106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-018-0142-x
Gómez Niño, J. R., Árias Delgado, L. P., Chiappe, A., & González, E. O. (2025). Gamifying learning with AI: A pathway to 21st-century skills. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education.
Hodges, C., Moore, S., Lockee, B., Trust, T., & Bond, A. (2020). The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. EDUCAUSE Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning
Huang, R., Tlili, A., Chang, T. W., Zhang, X., Nascimbeni, F., & Burgos, D. (2022). Disrupted classes, undisrupted learning during COVID-19 outbreak in China: Application of open educational practices and resources. Smart Learning Environments, 9(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-022-00200-2
Indrianingsi, A., Sihotang, H., & Simbolon, B. (2025). Analysis of teacher ability in using learning technology: Systematic literature review (SLR). Multidiciplinary Output Research for Actual and International Issue (MORFAI), 5(3), 5511–5519. https://doi.org/10.54443/morfai.v5i3.4137
Instefjord, E. J., & Munthe, E. (2017). Educating digitally competent teachers: A study of integration of professional digital competence in teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 37–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.05.016
Istenic, A., Bratko, I., & Rosanda, V. (2021). Are pre-service teachers sufficiently digitally competent? A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 59(6), 1208–1231. https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633121997366
Kemp, S. (2026). Digital 2026: Indonesia. DataReportal. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2026-indonesia
Kirkwood, A., & Price, L. (2014). Technology-enhanced learning and teaching in higher education: What is “enhanced” and how do we know? A critical literature review. Learning, Media and Technology, 39(1), 6–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2013.770404
Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 60–70.
Lay, M. B., Fallo, D., Oematan, F. H., Talan, N. T., & Amseke, F. V. (2026). Pengaruh pembelajaran saintifik terhadap kemampuan berpikir kritis anak usia dini. E-MAS: Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat, 1(4).
Leydesdorff, L., Bornmann, L., & Wagner, C. S. (2016). The relative influences of government funding and international collaboration on citation impact. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 67(4), 1043–1049. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.23469
Lotka, A. J. (1926). The frequency distribution of scientific productivity. Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, 16(12), 317–323.
Maphoto, K. B., & Moloi, T. W. (2025). Digital transformation in the higher education sector: A systematic literature review. Administrative Sciences, 16(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci16010001
Marinoni, G., Van’t Land, H., & Jensen, T. (2020). The impact of Covid-19 on higher education around the world. International Association of Universities. https://www.iau-aiu.net/IMG/pdf/iau_covid19_and_he_survey_report_final_may_2020.pdf
Merton, R. K. (1968). The Matthew effect in science. Science, 159(3810), 56–63.
Moral-Muñoz, J. A., Herrera-Viedma, E., Santisteban-Espejo, A., & Cobo, M. J. (2020). Software tools for conducting bibliometric analysis in science: An up-to-date review. Professional de la Información, 29(1), e290103. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2020.ene.03
Nature Index. (2025). 2025 research leaders: Leading countries/territories. Nature.
Newman, M. E. J. (2004). Coauthorship networks and patterns of scientific collaboration. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 101(suppl. 1), 5200–5205. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0307545100
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., et al. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Pepin, B., Choppin, J., Ruthven, K., & Sinclair, N. (2021). Digital curriculum resources in mathematics education: Foundations for change. ZDM–Mathematics Education, 53(5), 1013–1024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-021-01272-1
Rahmadhani, S. (2025). Menumbuhkan rasa ingin tahu siswa melalui pendekatan STEAM dalam pembelajaran IPA di sekolah dasar. Jurnal Intelektual, 1(1).
Rehman, N., et al. (2024). Project-based learning as a catalyst for 21st-century skills and student engagement in the math classroom. Heliyon, 10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39988
Sánchez, L., et al. (2022). Evolution of scientific production on health literacy and health education: A bibliometric analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(7), 4356. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074356
Saputra, E. E., Adelina, E., Yolanda, W., Arwanti, E., & Novikasari, N. (2024). Studi literature: Peran pendidikan IPA dalam mengembangkan keterampilan berpikir kritis pada anak usia sekolah dasar. Catha: Journal of Creative and Innovative Research, 1(1), 34–44.
Scherer, R., Howard, S. K., Tondeur, J., & Siddiq, F. (2021). Profiling teachers’ readiness for online teaching and learning in higher education: Who’s ready? Computers in Human Behavior, 118, 106675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106675
Scherer, R., Siddiq, F., & Tondeur, J. (2019). The technology acceptance model (TAM): A meta-analytic structural equation modeling approach to explaining teachers’ adoption of digital technology in education. Computers & Education, 128, 13–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.09.009
Shobiroh, A., Rizkiyah, L., Isnaeni, I., Wardani, R. K., Dewi, I. L., & Maemana, A. (2025). Pengembangan kompetensi abad 21 melalui integrasi model pembelajaran inovatif dan teknologi digital: Sebuah systematic literature review. EKSAKTA: Jurnal Penelitian dan Pembelajaran MIPA, 11(1), 70–80. https://doi.org/10.31604/eksakta.v11i1.70-80
Small, H. (1973). Co-citation in the scientific literature: A new measure of the relationship between two documents. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 24(4), 265–269.
Starkey, L. (2019). A review of research exploring teacher preparation for the digital age. Cambridge Journal of Education, 50(1), 37–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2019.1625867
Starkey, L. (2020). A review of research exploring teacher preparation for the digital age. Cambridge Journal of Education, 50(1), 37–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2019.1625867
Su, H. N., & Lee, P. C. (2010). Mapping knowledge structure by keyword co-occurrence: A first look at journal papers in technology foresight. Scientometrics, 85(1), 65–79. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-010-0259-8
Sundahry, S. (2025). Literasi digital sebagai fondasi pengembangan keterampilan mahasiswa PGSD dalam perancangan pembelajaran IPAS gamifikasi: Tinjauan literatur. Prosiding Seminar Nasional Keguruan dan Pendidikan (SNKP), 3, 53–60. https://www.ejournal.ummuba.ac.id/index.php/SNKP/article/view/3112
Surya, Y. F., Sumianto, Al Amin, & Armiswati. (2025). Pelatihan pendampingan implementasi STEM untuk meningkatkan kualitas pembelajaran IPA bagi Kelompok Kerja Guru SD. Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat dan Riset Pendidikan, 3(3), 117–121.
Syarief Abdullah, M. (2025). Penerapan pendekatan STEM dalam pembelajaran IPA untuk meningkatkan keterampilan berpikir kritis siswa kelas 5 SD. SINERGI: Jurnal Riset Ilmiah, 2(4).
Thelwall, M., & Wilson, P. (2014). Regression for citation data: An evaluation of different methods. Journal of Informetrics, 8(4), 963–971. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2014.09.011
Thurm, D., & Barzel, B. (2022). Effects of a professional development program for teaching mathematics with technology on teachers’ beliefs, self-efficacy, and practices. ZDM–Mathematics Education, 54(3), 675–689. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-022-01348-4
Trust, T., & Whalen, J. (2023). Emergency remote teaching with technology during the COVID-19 pandemic: Using the whole teacher lens to examine educators’ experiences and insights. Educational Technology Research and Development, 71(1), 55–76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-022-10150-8
UK Department for Science, Innovation & Technology. (2025). International comparison of the UK research base, 2025. GOV.UK.
UNDRR. (2015). Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.
UNDRR. (2024). 2024 EFDRR: Europe and Central Asia Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. https://efdrr.undrr.org/2024
UNESCO. (2021). Countries’ top five foreign collaborators by number of scientific publications, 2014–2016 and 2017–2019. In UNESCO Science Report: The race against time for smarter development.
Voogt, J., Erstad, O., Dede, C., & Mishra, P. (2013). Challenges to learning and schooling in the digital networked world of the 21st century. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 29(5), 403–413. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12029
Voogt, J., Laferrière, T., Breuleux, A., Itow, R. C., Hickey, D. T., & McKenney, S. (2023). Collaborative design as a form of professional development. Instructional Science, 51(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-023-09622-y
Waltman, L. (2016). A review of the literature on citation impact indicators. Journal of Informetrics, 10(2), 365–391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2016.02.007
Wang, J. (2018). Citation time window choice for research impact evaluation. Scientometrics, 114(3), 1323–1339. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-017-2628-z
Wang, Y. (2026). Digital competence for sustainable education of pre-service teachers: A systematic literature review (2014–2024). Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1710983
Zhu, J., Zhou, X., & Liu, F. (2020). A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of digital game-based learning on student achievement in science. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 58(5), 1097–1126. https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633120906830
Zuccala, A. (2006). Author cocitation analysis is to intellectual structure as web colink analysis is to …? Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 57(11), 1487–1502. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.20468
Zupic, I., & Čater, T. (2015). Bibliometric methods in management and organization. Organizational Research Methods, 18(3), 429–472. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428114562629
Copyright (c) 2025 Nuri Nuri, Putut Marwoto, Bambang Subali, Sulhadi Sulhadi, Lanidana Etni Laos
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with ISEJ: Indonesian Science Education Journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the ISEJ: Indonesian Science Education Journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or edit it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
_(3).png)
