Jul 2026· Psychology of Education Review· 0 citations· 5 references
TL;DR
Artificial Intelligence’s impact on critical thinking depends less on the technology itself and more on how it is pedagogically integrated, whereas structured interventions can re-engage deliberate, System 2 thinking.
Abstract
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into higher education, yet its impact on students’ critical thinking remains unclear. Critical thinking involves questioning, interpreting facts, evaluating arguments, and making balanced judgments. While AI can facilitate information access and augment learning tasks, uncritical reliance may limit analytical depth, creativity, and reflective engagement. This narrative review synthesises empirical and theoretical research on the effects of AI on university students’ critical thinking. Studies examining cognitive processes, engagement, and interventions in AI-assisted learning were analysed, focusing on the domains of analysis, evaluation, creativity, and reflection.
We found that generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT and DALL·E, may encourage reliance on fast, heuristic-based (System 1) thinking. Students using AI without structured guidance demonstrated reduced neural engagement in executive control regions, lower originality, and diminished metacognitive effort. Interventions incorporating reflective scaffolding, metacognitive prompts, educational chatbots, and accountability-focused assessment improved critical engagement and evaluative reasoning. In conclusion, AI’s impact on critical thinking depends less on the technology itself and more on how it is pedagogically integrated. Uncritical use can compromise analysis, creativity, and reflection, whereas structured interventions can re-engage deliberate, System 2 thinking. Future research should explore longitudinal, cross-disciplinary effects and investigate integration strategies to foster reflective practices and independent reasoning.
The review proposes an AI–Pedagogy–Engagement–Critical Thinking (AI-PECT) framework in which AI capabilities influence educational outcomes through pedagogical mediation and learner agency, while AI literacy, teacher competence, infrastructure, assessment design and ethical governance operate as important contextual conditions.
Sonam Bansal and Vijay Kumar Lamba· International Journal of Adv...· 0 citations
It is suggested that AI can enhance drafting, revision, and feedback processes, improving coherence, metacognition, and writing confidence, however, these benefits are accompanied by persistent concerns regarding ethical ambiguity, inconsistent policy guidance, and insufficient faculty training.
Samira Dichari, Fadi Jaber· Journal of Education and Tra...· 0 citations
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly redesigning higher education by changing how students access, process, and produce academic knowledge. Students increasingly rely on AI-powered tools to generate ideas, assist in writing, and solve complex academic tasks. While these technologies offer increased efficiency, expanded access to information and knowledge, they also raise significant concerns regarding their effects for students’ cognitive and long-term intellectual development, particularly critical thinking. This study aims to explore the effects of AI on students' critical thinking towards academic achievement within higher education contexts. The study adopts a qualitative research design within a phenomenology paradigm to explore students’ experiences and perceptions as regards AI use. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the University students selected through convenience sampling techniques. The data were analysed using thematic analysis supported by NVivo software, enabling systematic coding and identification of patterns across participants’ experiences. The findings revealed a dual-pathway effect: On one hand, AI functions as a cognitive scaffold that enhances understanding, supports idea generation, and improves academic performance. On the other hand, it acts as a cognitive substitute that reduces analytical engagement, encourages and promotes superficial learning, and fosters dependency. It further highlights the need to reconceptualise information literacy competencies to include AI literacy skills support services in determining how students engage with AI technologies in academic environments. Suggestions are provided for educators, academic libraries, and policy makers seeking to support and integrate AI responsibly while preserving critical thinking as a core learning outcome.
B. Usman· International journal of edu...· 0 citations
The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed education, particularly in classroom learning. AI technologies, including intelligent tutoring systems, generative AI, and adaptive learning platforms, provide new opportunities to enhance learning experiences. However, their integration also raises important pedagogical questions regarding students’ critical thinking, autonomy, and growth mindset. This article examines how AI can function as both an opportunity and a challenge in fostering students’ growth mindset. The study employs a qualitative literature review by analyzing recent research on AI in education, critical thinking, and growth mindset. The findings indicate that AI improves access to information, supports personalized learning, and encourages reflective thinking. However, excessive dependence on AI may reduce deep cognitive engagement without appropriate pedagogical guidance. The discussion focuses on three key dimensions: AI as a learning support tool, a catalyst for critical thinking, and a factor influencing students’ confidence and autonomy. The findings emphasize the essential role of teachers in guiding students to use AI responsibly and reflectively. When effectively integrated into classroom activities, AI can promote inquiry, evaluation, and independent learning rather than replace human thinking. Therefore, AI should not be viewed simply as beneficial or harmful but as a pedagogical challenge requiring thoughtful instructional integration. This study concludes that, when supported by appropriate teaching strategies, AI can contribute positively to the development of growth mindset, critical thinking, and reflective learning, while reinforcing the importance of balancing technological innovation with sound educational practice.
Raden Rara Faiza Iflaal Ulima, Rahmatika Maulida, Yunus Mahben et al.· Journal of Educational Techn...· 0 citations
One of the first comprehensive syntheses of AI integration across the entire CAR cycle is offered, linking it explicitly to critical-thinking development within a reflective, teacher-led inquiry framework, an intersection that remains underexplored in the extant literature.
Yusriani Yusriani, Andi Yuyung· ETDC: Indonesian Journal of...· 0 citations
Educational institutions have adopted Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools at a pace that has outstripped careful study of their cognitive consequences for students. This paper synthesizes findings from 25 recent journal articles and empirical studies to examine how AI integration in school, undergraduate, and graduate settings shapes critical thinking, logical reasoning, and broader cognitive development. Generative large language models, intelligent tutoring systems, and adaptive learning platforms clearly strengthen personalized instruction and raise measurable academic performance; the evidence reviewed here, however, points to a separate risk: when such tools are adopted without safeguards, they can gradually erode independent reasoning, deductive problem-solving, and metacognitive self-regulation. One especially striking pattern emerges from the empirical literature: students who rely heavily on AI support tend to earn higher grades yet perform worse on assessments that require unassisted thinking, a divergence they term the grade-competence gap. To address this tension, the paper proposes the CLEAR Framework: contextual use, literacy, engagement, assessment reform, and reflection, a five-component approach for capturing AI's instructional value without undermining students' cognitive growth. The paper closes with practical recommendations for educators, curriculum designers, and policymakers navigating AI's growing role in education.
Ashok Sadavare, D. Kumbhar, Aditya Sadavare· Journal of Data Engineering...· 0 citations
