Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming educational technology (EdTech) by enabling personalized learning, automated assessment, and enhanced student engagement. This systematic literature review (SLR), based on 50 peer-reviewed studies (2018–2025) from Scopus, ERIC, and IEEE Xplore, addresses three research questions: How is AI reshaping education (RQ1)? What barriers hinder implementation (RQ2)? And what future directions emerge (RQ3)? Key findings reveal adaptive systems increase engagement by 18–25% [2] and reduce dropout rates by 28% [27], yet challenges persist, including data breaches affecting 8.5 million records in the past 18 months [30] and equity gaps impacting 70% of under-resourced institutions [36]. To address these, this review proposes a novel five-layer ethical framework (policy guardrails, intelligent personalization, automated grading, teacher upskilling, and equity audits), validated through UNESCO and EDUCAUSE pilots [9], [35]. The framework provides actionable guidance for educators, administrators, and policymakers to develop equitable, intelligent EdTech ecosystems.

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