Investigating the use of innovative mobile pedagogies for school-aged students: A systematic literature review

Abstract

The empirical evidence surrounding innovative technology-enhanced-learning practices in K-12 education is at best patchy. This study seeks to address this problem by investigating innovative mobile learning pedagogies for school-aged learners, including the extent to which these approaches may be disruptive to traditional school structures and practices. It adopts a rigorous Systematic Literature Review (SLR) methodology to interrogate this phenomenon, with fifty-seven high quality articles published between 2010 and 2017 meeting the stringent selection criteria. Content and thematic analysis showed low to medium degrees of innovation in most studies, with only 3 articles showing radically innovative, disruptive mobile learning practices. Illustrative examples are discussed across this innovation spectrum and the notion of feasible innovation is proposed in the context of mobile learning in schools. The findings have implications for educators interested in designing and enacting effective innovative mobile learning practices, and researchers interested in the nature of innovation in mobile pedagogies.