Abstract

Future business leaders must possess digital competence and soft skills like critical thinking, assertiveness, and emotional self-regulation. Traditional training methods lack flexibility, hindering adaptability. Smartphones are ubiquitous, personable, and provide digital equality among m-learning platforms, playing a crucial role in education. The global learning mobile app market (online courses, languages, academic disciplines, etc.)  is forecasted to grow at a compounded growth rate of over 20% until 2030. However, it remains unclear if user-generated interactions in mobile apps can develop soft leadership skills.

This article reviews studies on mobile apps as an adult learner-driven, flexible, universal, and fast alternative to traditional training methods for leadership skills such as critical thinking, self-awareness, empathy, and emotional self-regulation. Four databases were searched using subheadings and terms related to mobile learning, education, and soft skills. The included studies were mapped according to the types of mobile learning platforms, adult subjects, specific 21st-century leadership skills, and outcomes. The search was limited to articles published between 2014 and 2024.

The main findings indicate that while there is extensive research on m-learning platforms for PK-12 education, there is a significant lack of primary data on the use of mobile apps for developing leadership skills in adults. The few existing studies primarily evaluate critical thinking as a crucial business skill. These results reveal a notable gap between scientific research and market practices in the context of mobile learning for adult leadership skills.

Abstract

Future business leaders must possess digital competence and soft skills like critical thinking, assertiveness, and emotional self-regulation. Traditional training methods lack flexibility, hindering adaptability. Smartphones are ubiquitous, personable, and provide digital equality among m-learning platforms, playing a crucial role in education. The global learning mobile app market (online courses, languages, academic disciplines, etc.) is forecasted to grow at a compounded growth rate of over 20% until 2030. However, it remains unclear if user-generated interactions in mobile apps can develop soft leadership skills. This article reviews studies on mobile apps as an adult learner-driven, flexible, universal, and fast alternative to traditional training methods for leadership skills such as critical thinking, self-awareness, empathy, and emotional self-regulation. Four databases were searched using subheadings and terms related to mobile learning, education, and soft skills. The included studies were mapped according to the types of mobile learning platforms, adult subjects, specific 21st-century leadership skills, and outcomes. The search was limited to articles published between 2014 and 2024. The main findings indicate that while there is extensive research on m-learning platforms for PK-12 education, there is a significant lack of primary data on the use of mobile apps for developing leadership skills in adults. The few existing studies primarily evaluate critical thinking as a crucial business skill. These results reveal a notable gap between scientific research and market practices in the context of mobile learning for adult leadership skills.