How Computational Notebooks Are Implemented in the Classroom: Challenges and Impacts—A Systematic Review

Literature on the use of Computational Notebook (Notebook) in the classroom remains fragmented, often limiting the relationship between implementation challenges and impacts to narrative descriptions. Consequently, a systematic literature review (SLR) is required to systematically extract the implementation–challenges–impact triad. This SLR aims to synthesize evidence on how notebooks are implemented in classrooms, including the challenges and impacts associated with their use. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, this study focuses on three synthesis constructs: implementation, challenges, and effects. The search was conducted across Scopus and Web of Science Core for publications from 2021 to 2025, resulting in 71 included studies, with the highest concentration in 2023. The dominant platforms identified were the Jupyter ecosystem and Google Colab, with implementation contexts spanning schooling, higher education, and teacher training. In general, implementation patterns indicate that notebooks are more frequently positioned as a core component, characterized by moderate scaffolding and relatively high support layering or workflow. This suggests that the adoption of the Notebook in classroom practice is supported more by operational and workflow regularity than by the intensification of conceptual assistance. While technical and pedagogical-cognitive challenges recur, they are often reported narratively. In contrast, challenges regarding assessment and integrity are more explicit because they directly affect the legitimacy of grading. As a result, the correlation between challenges and impacts remains less accessible across various studies. The practical implications point to a need to balance workflow strengths with reinforced conceptual scaffolding. In contrast, the research implications emphasize improving documentation quality and challenge detection to ensure that 21st-century skill outcomes are more grounded in structured evidence. Ultimately, this study offers an operational perspective on what makes technology “work” in the classroom and provides a shared language for mapping technology adoption across core activity integration, scaffolding levels, and operational support.