Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research

Developing Computational Thinking in Early Childhood Education: Long-Term Impacts on CT Skills and Motivation Using the CAL Approach, ScratchJr, and Gamification

Alkinoos Ioannis Zourmpakis — 2025-08-13

Computational Thinking (CT) has been slowly being integrated into early education curricula as a critical skill for 21^st-century learners. However, implementation of fully developed curricula devoted to CT development the corresponding motivational aspects for young learners, particularly when using pedagogical strategies like gamification, are scarce, especially when it comes to their long-term effects. This study investigates the long-term impact of the "Coding as Another Language" (CAL) with ScratchJr and integrated gamification elements through the ClassDojo platform on the CT skills and motivation in early childhood education. In this study, we employed a quantitative, semi-experimental approach measuring CT skills utilizing a pre-test and post-test approach and a brief summative assessment test. Also, a motivational questionnaire was utilized post-intervention. The sample consisted of 12 second-grade students over an entire school year. The findings revealed a statistically significant improvement in students' CT development. Furthermore, students reported significant high levels of self-efficacy, grade, self-determination, and intrinsic motivation suggesting that the gamified, project-based approach successfully fostered sustained engagement and confidence in a collaborative environment. This research contributes valuable insights into the successful implementation of long-term, gamified coding programs for young children, demonstrating that such approaches can significantly enhance both cognitive skills and key motivational aspects.

Integrating AI Tools and Drama Pedagogy in Digital Classrooms to Foster Critical Thinking and Inclusion in Primary Education

Konstantinos Kotsidis — 2025-08-01

This study investigates the pedagogical potential of combining artificial intelligence (AI) tools with drama-based strategies in digital learning environments within primary education, focusing on the development of students' critical thinking skills. To this end, twelve original teaching scenarios were designed and implemented in a sixth-grade classroom, blending the use of AI-powered online applications with experiential drama techniques. These digital tools, accessed through computers and portable devices available in the classroom, supported learners in generating content, exploring multiple perspectives, and engaging in reflective dialogue. The intervention employed a mixed-methods research design and was conducted with a convenience sample of 46 11-year-old students attending an urban public primary school. Data were collected through pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, classroom observations, and focus group interviews. Quantitative results indicated a measurable improvement in students’ ability to analyse, evaluate, and justify ideas, while qualitative data provided evidence of increased engagement, collaborative interaction, and deeper metacognitive awareness. The findings suggest that the purposeful integration of AI into classroom practice, when combined with creative and participatory learning methodologies such as drama, can contribute meaningfully to the cultivation of critical and reflective thinking in young learners. Moreover, this interdisciplinary approach was found to support inclusive participation by offering varied entry points for student expression and understanding. The study highlights the relevance of reimagining digital or mobile-supported pedagogy through the lens of artistic and dialogic learning, particularly in educational contexts that aim to equip students with essential 21^st century skills. It also opens pathways for further research into how AI enhanced environments can foster equity, creativity, and cognitive engagement in primary classrooms.

Generative AI in Pre-Service Science Teacher Education: A Systematic Review

Theodoros Spasopoulos — 2025-07-30

Despite the increasing adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in education, there is a lack of comprehensive reviews on how GenAI is being utilized within Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) in science. This systematic literature review (SLR) aims to address this gap by examining the extent and nature of GenAI integration in future science teachers' preparation programs. Using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology, 21 peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2022 and 2025 were identified and analyzed through qualitative thematic synthesis. The analysis addresses three research questions: 1) the extent to which GenAI is used in the curriculum of PSTs in science education; 2) how PSTs use GenAI tools to develop a deeper understanding of science and develop scientific reasoning; and 3) how PSTs in science education are using GenAI tools to plan and carry out teaching activities. Findings reveal that the integration of GenAI into curricula remains fragmented and often experimental, typically confined to technology-related courses or pilot projects. PSTs primarily utilize GenAI tools for conceptual clarification, hypothesis generation, and self-regulated learning. Furthermore, these tools serve as cognitive partners in designing lesson plans, differentiating instruction, and simulating classroom scenarios. However, the absence of structured pedagogical guidance often leads to superficial use and limited critical evaluation of AI-generated content. This review highlights the transformative potential of GenAI in science education while underscoring the need for institutional frameworks, faculty training, and the development of AI literacy. Future research should focus on how to sustainably integrate GenAI into teacher education to foster scientific reasoning, pedagogical adaptability, and responsible use of technology.

Mobile-Based Informal Learning and Digital Evangelism: Theological Students’ Use of Social Media in Indonesia

I Putu Ayub Darmawan — 2025-07-16

The development of digital technology has significantly simplified remote interaction and communication. Mobile phones have become an integral part of everyday life, including their use in gospel communication. This study explores how theology students in Indonesia utilize mobile phones for gospel communication, employing qualitative research methods. Data were collected via a Google Form containing open-ended questions, completed by 154 theology students from various provinces across Indonesia. The data were then analyzed using Microsoft Excel and NVivo 12 Plus software through stages of data reduction, grouping with pivot commands, meaning condensation through thematic analysis, and interpretation. The findings indicate that mobile phones play a significant and effective role in gospel communication among theology students. They enable users to share information and communicate easily, thereby expanding the reach and overall impact of the Gospel message. This research contributes to the development of effective strategies for using mobile phones and social media in theological education and offers a clearer understanding of how theology students in Indonesia engage with these technologies.

Fostering Critical AI Literacy through A Decolonial Use of ChatGPT in ESL/EFL Classrooms

Purna Chandra Bhusal — 2025-07-07

This article examines the potential and risks of integrating AI tools, such as ChatGPT, into ESL/EFL classrooms from a decolonial perspective to enhance vocabulary instruction. Centering on eighteen English words from an English textbook designed for school education, the study examines how ESL/EFL vocabulary can be taught using ChatGPT to encourage students to engage with and critically reflect on its outputs. Employing the method of strategic prompting and qualitative content analysis of ChatGPT responses, the article explores how students' first languages (L1) can be meaningfully connected to English (L2) using ChatGPT as a pedagogical tool, particularly within a multilingual and multiethnic educational context. The study demonstrates that a decolonial approach to AI tools, such as ChatGPT, can enhance ESL/EFL pedagogy by promoting linguistic inclusivity and fostering critical AI literacy among students. Hence, the article contributes to the emerging conversations on decolonial ESL/EFL pedagogy and critical AI literacy by positioning AI tools, such as ChatGPT, not as a neutral source of information, but as a tool to enhance language learning in diverse linguistic contexts with a higher degree of human intervention.

Programming for Students Who Struggle with Writing: How Strategy Instruction, Technology and Assessment can Promote Students’ Writing Improvement

Michael William Dunn — 2025-07-04

Writing can be a challenging task for many people. Developing ideas, organizing them into an outline, spelling words, creating sentences with descriptive adverbs and adjectives, and making edits for a finessed final copy require an ability to manage these tasks concurrently to help make the ideas and phrases flow into a coherent text. For educators as well as governmental departments of education who create and manage yearly testing, there are many options for how writing can be assessed; assessment choices play a part in defining students who struggle with writing. This conceptual article discusses the challenges that students who struggle with writing face, technology tools that can help and how assessment of students' skills can be designed and applied to progress monitor (assess) writing content and quality over time. The conclusions of this article emphasize the benefits of employing research/evidence-based practices for writing with technology tools. The implications are that students who struggle with writing can benefit from step-by-step (strategy) instruction, progress monitoring their written content and quality skills as intervention programming sessions progress, and employing technology tools to help with idea generation, spelling, grammar/syntax, and revising ideas.

Mobile-Supported Blended Learning for Fractions: Enhancing Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge in Primary School Students

Maria Arvanitaki — 2025-06-23

This study explores the impact of a blended learning approach on fifth-grade students’ conceptual and procedural knowledge of fractions. A quasi-experimental design was implemented with 130 fifth grade students from public primary schools in socio-economically homogeneous areas of Heraklion, Crete (control group: n = 64; experimental group: n = 66). The intervention combined mobile-accessible H5P interactive tasks designed on e-Me learning platform, featuring dynamic environments in Geogebra, with hands-on activities using manipulatives and student-constructed models. Emphasis was placed on collaborative learning and verbal articulation of reasoning. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests revealed significant within-group improvements in both groups. However, the experimental group showed greater gains. Mann–Whitney U tests confirmed that improvements in conceptual and procedural knowledge were significantly higher in the experimental group (p = 0.003 and p = 0.008, respectively), with moderate effect sizes. These findings suggest that the blended learning approach substantially supports fraction learning by bridging conceptual and procedural aspects of knowledge. The use of browser-based, open-source software proved effective in creating personalised, engaging learning experiences. This study contributes to the growing discussion on technology-enhanced fraction learning by presenting a flexible, learner-centered approach that empowers teachers to design contextually responsive fraction learning experiences.

Mobile Learning Media and Physics Education: Exploring Student Preferences, Competence, and Motivation in the Digital Era

Muhammad Aizri Fadillah — 2025-06-18

In this digital era, mobile technology has transformed the education system and made mobile learning media increasingly important, especially in physics education as a complex discipline. Mobile-based learning media, such as physics simulation applications accessed via mobile phones, interactive learning videos via tablets, and mobile learning platforms, have been shown to help students understand abstract and complex physics concepts. However, there is still a gap in the literature regarding how students' preferences for mobile-based learning media affect their physics learning competence and motivation in the context of physics education. This study aims to investigate the relationship between students' preferences for mobile-based learning media, physics competence, and learning motivation in physics learning. This study used a quantitative design with a survey method to collect data from 54 high school students in West Sumatra Province regarding their preferences for various types of mobile-based learning media in physics learning. Data were analyzed using multiple regression to determine the relationship between the variables studied. The results showed that students' preferences for mobile-based learning media had a significant positive impact on physics learning competence and motivation. The findings of the study also showed that students' preferences for PhET simulations accessible via smartphones, mobile-based educational social media applications, and physics learning videos had a significant influence on various aspects of students' physics competence and learning motivation. However, the impact varies depending on the type of learning media preferred and the pattern of students' mobile device usage in physics learning. This study provides valuable insights for physics education practitioners to improve students' learning experiences by considering students' preferences for mobile-based learning media. The implications of this study suggest that understanding and accommodating students' preferences for mobile-based learning media can significantly improve physics competence and learning motivation, thereby improving students' overall learning outcomes.

Enhancing Maritime Cadets’ Learning Outcomes through Mobile-Supported E-Mapping in Basic Mathematics: A Classroom Action Research Study

Ningrum Astriawati — 2025-06-06

This study aimed to improve cadets’ learning activity and outcomes in basic mathematical concepts within the Applied Mathematics course through the implementation of the Electronic Mind Mapping (E-Mapping) method. The research was conducted in the Ship Machinery Study Program and involved 26 cadets who had previously taken the course. A classroom action research approach was employed, consisting of three cycles. Each cycle included a pre-test to assess initial abilities, delivery of instructional material, and task implementation using the E-Mapping method. A post-test was then conducted to evaluate cadets’ understanding and learning outcomes. In this study, E-Mapping was facilitated through mobile devices—primarily smartphones—using the SimpleMind and Canva applications. These tools enabled cadets to create, edit, and visualize mind maps in a flexible and interactive manner. The mobile-supported nature of these platforms allowed cadets to access their mind maps anytime and anywhere, enhancing the flexibility, accessibility, and autonomy of their learning. This approach empowered cadets to engage with mathematical concepts beyond the constraints of classroom time, thereby deepening their understanding. The findings revealed that the use of E-Mapping significantly enhanced cadet learning outcomes, as evidenced by increased levels of learning activity and higher average post-test scores. Positive learning activity improved progressively across the cycles: 30.77% in Cycle I, 66.66% in Cycle II, and 82.05% in Cycle III. Similarly, the average post-test score increased from 64.35 in Cycle I to 73.46 in Cycle II, and 82.12 in Cycle III. The study concluded that the E-Mapping method significantly improved both cadet learning activity and outcomes in the Applied Mathematics course. This improvement indicated that E-Mapping made a meaningful contribution to strengthening cadets’ understanding of fundamental mathematical concepts—such as algebra, trigonometry, and number theory—which are essential for applying mathematics in the field of ship machinery engineering. By enabling the visualization of interconnections among concepts, E-Mapping helped cadets systematically organize and integrate knowledge, thereby facilitating the comprehension of abstract and complex material.

From the Gender Lens: Student Perceptions of ChatGPT in Higher Education

Muhammad Aizri Fadillah — 2025-05-19

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, such as ChatGPT, has significantly impacted education. Our study adds a gender lens to this discourse by examining how male and female students in Indonesian higher education perceive ChatGPT differently. ChatGPT, trained on human conversation data, provides human-like responses, enhancing interactivity and learning effectiveness in higher education. This study examines university students' perspectives from Indonesia and the use of ChatGPT in learning, involving 250 participants (109 males, 43.6%; 141 females, 56.4%). The findings reveal that males found ChatGPT more effective for interacting, searching, evaluating, and managing information, and they exhibited more positive attitudes and satisfaction toward its use. Additionally, males perceived ChatGPT as contributing more to their learning experience, particularly in daily classes and practical subjects. In contrast, females found ChatGPT more helpful for theoretical assignments and homework. These results highlight significant gender differences in ChatGPT's perceived benefits, underscoring the need to consider gender-specific preferences in educational technology implementation. This study provides insights into integrating ChatGPT effectively in education and emphasizes the importance of developing inclusive and adaptive AI-driven learning tools. Further research is needed to explore underlying factors influencing these differences and to design more equitable solutions for all students.