Implications of educational technology: A bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most cited studies over twenty years
Educational technology (ET) plays an important role in improving student learning experiences, yet no prior study has systematically examined research trends among its most influential publications. This bibliometric study analyzed the 100 most-cited articles on ET published between 2005 and 2024, drawn from the Scopus database. Results show that articles published in 2020 received the highest total citations, with the USA, Taiwan, and Australia as the most productive countries and Computers and Education as the leading source journal. Analysis of the top 20 most-cited articles identified three themes: interactive learning environments, the role of digital technologies, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ET use. Keyword co-occurrence analysis further revealed four emerging research clusters spanning technology acceptance, learning-process monitoring, distance-learning pedagogy, and post-pandemic online/blended learning models. Co-citation analysis showed that researchers most frequently drew on studies addressing individual learner characteristics and technology acceptance frameworks (TAM/UTAUT). These findings offer researchers and practitioners a consolidated overview of the field’s most impactful contributions and emerging directions.