Mobile app-based learning in preservice teacher education: associations with pedagogical knowledge test scores and predictors of behavioral engagement

Consolidating extensive pedagogical knowledge is essential in preservice teacher education as a foundation for developing future professional competences. While mobile learning has emerged as a promising approach for supporting the acquisition of foundational knowledge, empirical research investigating the relationship between app usage and academic test performance and identifying the predictors of behavioral engagement remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between consistent mobile app-based learning and test performance on foundational pedagogical knowledge and to identify environmental and individual factors predicting behavioral engagement in app usage. A total of 226 Japanese preservice teachers engaged in mobile learning via an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered mobile app designed for effective memorization, especially targeting basic factual knowledge retention. We analyzed the relationship between daily app usage rates and academic test scores. Additionally, logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the key factors associated with engagement in app usage. The results showed a significant positive correlation between daily app usage rates and academic test scores ( r s = 0.338, p < 0.001), particularly for knowledge at the Remember level. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis identified students’ psychological characteristics, specifically lower procrastination tendencies [OR = 0.962, 95% CI (0.935, 0.989), p = 0.006], and established weekday self-study habits [≥30 min/day; OR = 2.994, 95% CI (1.676, 5.349), p < 0.001] as key factors predicting higher engagement in mobile learning. The findings offer valuable insights for instructional design in preservice teacher education aimed at integrating mobile learning into existing curricula to efficiently acquire basic knowledge outside of class, thereby allocating in-class time to fostering higher-order competencies.