A Bibliometric Analysis of Technology-Enhanced Early Childhood Education: 2005–2025

This study maps how technology-enhanced Early Childhood Education (ECE) research evolved from 2005 to 2025. Using Scopus records from the Early Childhood Education Journal (n = 1,913), we applied performance analysis and science mapping in R (bibliometrix) to examine production, impact, collaboration, and keyword co-occurrence/thematic structures. Annual output grew by ~ 9%. Foundational clusters remained centered on play, professional development, and early literacy, while post-2020 terms related to digital tools, remote/hybrid practices, and inclusion rose in salience. Collaboration was US-centric with modest international co-authorship; fractional counts indicated limited cross-border diffusion. We report network parameters (e.g., number of nodes/edges, clustering and modularity) and provide a replicable workflow. Findings inform teacher education (technology-rich play and literacy pedagogies), program design (equitable digital inclusion and home–school platforms), and policy (incentives for international collaboration and Global South participation). The study clarifies how edtech topics reconfigured the ECE research front during the last decade while core developmental priorities persisted. It also outlines a transparent, reusable approach for edtech-focused bibliometrics in education. Data and code documentation are available on request, respecting Scopus licensing.