Using m-learning in teacher education: A systematic review of demographic details, research methodologies, pre-service teacher outcomes, and advantages and challenges

Mobile learning (m-learning) is a crucial educational technology for teacher education due to its significant benefits and the development of mobile technology. This study’s objective is to conduct a systematic review and present a recent synthesis of the m-learning literature from 2018 to 2023 in teacher education relating to subject publication year, geographic distribution, matter domains, mobile devices and technologies used, research methodologies used to examine the implementation of m-learning, results for pre-service teachers, as well as benefits and challenges of m-learning adoption. The study used the systematic review methodology and PRISMA guidelines. A list of 27 studies was included from several relevant studies in four, Google Scholar, Mendeley, ScienceDirect, and Scopus, databases using inclusion and exclusion criteria to evaluate the full text after screening the titles and abstracts. The results of this study show that m-learning has garnered interest in numerous nations worldwide, applied in different subject matter domains with the use of various mobile devices and technologies. More significantly, the findings show that using mobile learning to learn positively impacts how pre-service teachers develop their knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Additionally, adopting this learning style recently in teacher education has certain advantages and challenges, requiring lecturers, pre-service teachers, and institutions to have the necessary equipment for knowledge, skills and facilities to achieve efficiency. Consequently, the results of this study can be used as a guide for research on m-learning in the future and contribute to the body of knowledge about this pedagogical strategy for teacher training.