Submission Opportunity(2)

Submission Opportunity:

Educational Psychology Review

Screen-Based Activity in Educational Contexts: Mechanisms, Instructional Design, and Student Outcomes

Call opens on: 10 March 2026

Submission deadline for abstract: 10 August 2026, send abstracts to: Dr. Myrto Mavilidi at: myrto.mavilidi@scu.edu.au

Submission Deadline of Manuscripts: 10 March 2027

Overview

Digital technologies are now embedded in formal and informal learning environments, and screens are a routine medium through which students access instruction, information, and social interaction. In educational psychology, this has shifted the focus from ‘screen time’ as a single exposure variable to a more specific question: which kinds of screen-based activities, implemented under which instructional conditions, influence learning-relevant cognitive, motivational, and socio-emotional processes, for whom, and why. Findings are often mixed, in part because studies conflate time with content, context, task demands, and instructional design.

This topical collection therefore aims to advance a mechanism-focused evidence base that is educationally actionable. We welcome work that clarifies boundary conditions (for example, differences between instructional technology use and recreational media use; classroom versus home contexts; solitary versus collaborative activities) and that translates evidence into implications for teaching, learning design, and learner support. We also welcome intervention studies that manipulate design features of screen-based learning environments and test theoretically specified processes as mediators of educational outcomes.

Across submissions, we treat “screen-based activity” as a set of designable features of learning environments rather than a single exposure (e.g., prompts, feedback timing, pacing, signaling, interactivity, and social features). Authors are encouraged to foreground one or two focal mechanisms and specify how they will be operationalized: cognitive processing and cognitive load/attention; self-regulated learning and metacognition; motivation and engagement; and/or social and co-regulatory processes. Submissions should also state boundary conditions explicitly (when, why, and for whom effects are expected).

This topical collection in Educational Psychology Review invites high-quality submissions that bridge psychological theory and educational practice on screen-based activity in educational settings, with a focus on translating findings into actionable implications for learning design across contexts, such as preschools, schools, higher education, and informal online learning environments. Submissions will be prioritized when they (a) are clearly situated in an educational context, (b) articulate an educational-psychological mechanism (for example, attention and cognitive load, self-regulated learning and metacognition, motivation and engagement, or social and co-regulatory processes), and (c) derive explicit, actionable implications for instructional design and/or learner support. Manuscript reporting purely descriptive associations between overall screen time and outcomes, without a clearly specified educational context, design features, and a mechanism-based account, are less likely to be prioritized.

Topics of Interest

Submissions may include, but are not limited to: Systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and meta-analyses that synthesize evidence on screen-based activity and educational outcomes, with attention to mechanisms and boundary conditions (content, context, instructional design, learner characteristics).

Theory-building and integrative conceptual articles that develop or refine educational-psychological models linking screen-based activity to learning (for example, attention and cognitive load, self-regulated learning and metacognition, motivation, social interaction and co-regulation).

Intervention and design-focused studies that manipulate features of screen-based learning environments (for example, task design, prompts, feedback, pacing, social features, guidance and scaffolding) and test hypothesized mechanisms as mediators of learning-relevant outcomes.

Empirical studies (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods) that examine mediators and moderators of effects in authentic educational contexts (for example, developmental stage, prior knowledge, learning difficulties, socioeconomic context, teacher orchestration, and classroom norms).

Methodological and measurement contributions that strengthen how screen-based activity, design features, mechanisms (e.g., attention, cognitive load, SRL processes), and learning outcomes are assessed in educational settings (for example, multimethod measurement, trace/log data aligned with theory, and transparent operational definitions). Equity-focused work addressing differential opportunities, risks, and benefits across learner groups, including culturally responsive design and evaluation of interventions.

Educational practice and professional development articles translating evidence into guidance for educators, schools, and teacher education (for example, responsible integration, classroom routines, and support for learners’ self-regulation).

Submission Information

Authors whose papers were selected following abstract review are invited to submit manuscripts through the Educational Psychology Review submission portal https://link.springer.com/journal/10648, and select the Topical Collection “Screen-based activity”. Manuscripts should adhere to EDPR’s guidelines, including a maximum of 12,000 words and APA 7 style formatting. Submissions will undergo rigorous peer review in line with the journal’s standards. To ensure fit with EDPR, manuscripts should clearly specify the educational context, the type of screen-based activity, and the proposed psychological mechanisms and boundary conditions that link it to learning-relevant outcomes. Given EDPR’s emphasis on integrative scholarship, we anticipate that empirical and intervention papers will comprise no more than 20% of the final set of accepted papers in this topical collection. We encourage methodologically robust studies (e.g., randomized controlled trials, longitudinal designs, advanced statistical approaches) that advance theoretical understanding and offer practical implications for educators. Where appropriate, we encourage preregistration and sharing of de-identified data, materials, and analysis code in line with ethical and journal requirements. For inquiries or to discuss the fit of a proposed submission, contact the guest editors at myrto.mavilidi@scu.edu.au.