A Temporal Trend Analysis of Digital Technology Applied Education Research

Research on digital-technology-applied education has been difficult to systematically overview because the terminology and forms of education have continually changed with technological advancement. This study analyzed the temporal trends of 14,956 publications on digital-technology-applied education published from 1969 to 2024 to identify long-term patterns of change. The analysis showed that new forms of education emerged as technologies developed, leading to changes in publication counts. By technology keyword, research related to ‘online,’ ‘e-learning,’ and ‘artificial intelligence’ accounted for the largest proportions. The cumulative publication trajectories for each technology keyword followed typical S-curve patterns, indicating connections to innovation diffusion and technology life cycle theories. In addition, policy shifts, technological developments, and societal changes were found to interact and influence research trends. By providing a temporal overview of half a century of digital-technology-applied education research in Korea, this study offers valuable evidence to inform future digital transformation policies and research directions in the field of education.