Aug 2026· Journal of Intelligent Decision Making and Information Science· 0 citations· 21 references
TL;DR
This systematic review synthesises empirical and conceptual evidence on university pedagogical practices that cultivate critical thinking and, through it, student intellectual autonomy in digitally mediated learning environments and identifies gaps concerning long-term transfer, equity, and the assessment of autonomy in AI-saturated contexts.
Abstract
Background. The digital age has reconfigured the epistemic environment of higher education. Information abundance, algorithmic curation, misinformation, and the rapid diffusion of generative artificial intelligence (AI) have made critical thinking a defining graduate attribute, yet they simultaneously threaten the intellectual autonomy that critical thinking is meant to secure.
Objectives. This systematic review synthesises empirical and conceptual evidence on university pedagogical practices that cultivate critical thinking and, through it, student intellectual autonomy in digitally mediated learning environments.
Methods. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a structured search of five databases (Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, Education Source, and Scientific Electronic Library Online) was conducted for records published between January 2015 and February 2026. After de-duplication, title–abstract screening, and full-text eligibility assessment against pre-registered criteria, 68 studies were retained and analysed through a thematic synthesis.
Results. Five families of pedagogical practice were associated with gains in critical thinking and autonomy: (i) active inquiry-based instruction (problem-, project-, and case-based learning), (ii) argumentation, dialogue, and Socratic questioning, (iii) blended and flipped designs that reallocate class time to higher-order tasks, (iv) metacognitive and self-regulatory scaffolding, and (v) critical digital and AI literacy. Reported effects on critical thinking were moderate to large (standardised mean differences typically between 0.55 and 1.08), but the strength and durability of gains depended on the quality of dialogic facilitation, the presence of explicit reflection, and the deliberate design of student agency. A recurrent autonomy paradox emerged: the same digital and AI tools that can scaffold reasoning can, when used uncritically, foster cognitive offloading and dependence that erode autonomous thought.
Conclusions. Intellectual autonomy is not a by-product of technology but of intentional pedagogy. The review proposes a set of design principles and identifies gaps concerning long-term transfer, equity, and the assessment of autonomy in AI-saturated contexts.
This critical narrative review examines evidence published from 1 January 2000 to 19 June 2026 to analyse how teachers’ roles are being reconfigured across technology-enhanced, blended, online and artificial intelligence-mediated learning to argue that contemporary teacher professionalism is best understood as technologically mediated human judgement rather than technological replacement.
D. Bora, Kate Dandesh Kumar· Asian Journal of Education a...· 0 citations
A context-bounded interpretive framework is proposed suggesting that GenAI’s educational value depends on instructional and governance conditions that preserve autonomy, critical thinking, integrity, and equity.
Mayra Álvarez-Jiménez, Geovanny Cudco, Diego Gamboa et al.· Computers· 0 citations
This study systematically reviews 36 recent research articles (2020–2024) on the development of critical thinking in teacher education for English as a foreign language. Although critical thinking is widely recognized as a core competency, recent studies remain fragmented regarding how it is conceptualized, taught, and assessed in English teacher education. This fragmentation makes an updated synthesis urgent amid recent pedagogical, intercultural, and digital transformations in teacher education. The PRISMA protocol was followed, and databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and Redalyc were consulted, enabling an analysis of the geographical, methodological, theoretical, didactic, and contextual characteristics of the studies. Qualitative approaches predominate (61%), with a significant concentration in Asia (18 cases), followed by the Americas (8) and Europe (6). Among the theoretical frameworks identified, the cognitive approach (25%) and the sociocultural/sociocognitive approach (22%) stand out, highlighting the importance of connecting thinking with context and social interaction. Regarding didactic strategies, experiential learning (39.6%) is prominent, followed by critical or argumentative reflection (33.9%). However, major challenges remain: limited specialized training, curricular rigidity, and a persistent gap between theory and practice. The review maps recent trends, identifies persistent gaps, and offers pedagogical implications for strengthening critical thinking in English teacher education.
Nelson Rafael Toncel Herrera, Ángel Alfonso Jiménez Sierra· Frontiers in Education· 0 citations
Digital technology is now embedded in mathematics classrooms across most school systems, yet the pedagogical question of how such technology should be used to support mathematical learning remains unsettled. Quantitative syntheses report effects ranging from negligible to substantial, large-scale international assessments frequently associate school technology use with weaker mathematical performance, and teacher-level studies show that availability of tools rarely translates into changes in mathematical practice. This critical narrative review examines the state of knowledge on mathematics teaching methodology in digitally mediated settings and develops an integrated pedagogical framework for meaningful technology integration. The review draws on peer-reviewed literature identified through structured searching of open scholarly databases and indexes, supplemented by backward and forward citation searching and by examination of authoritative institutional reports. Evidence was appraised for design adequacy, duration, outcome validity, sample representativeness and consistency with independent findings, and was synthesised thematically rather than study by study. Four critical findings emerge. Aggregate effect estimates are dominated by short, small, researcher-implemented studies, and the largest reported effects cluster in precisely those conditions. Tool-class comparisons show that effects depend on the epistemic function a tool performs rather than on its technical sophistication. Correlational evidence from international assessments cannot be read as evidence of harm, because usage measures conflate remediation, compensation and pedagogy. Teacher enactment, rather than tool provision, is the principal determinant of whether digital mediation alters mathematical activity. The proposed framework organises integration around mathematical purpose, instrumental orchestration, representational congruence, epistemic authority, feedback calibration and equity by design, and distinguishes propositions that are well supported from those that remain conjectural. Generative artificial intelligence intensifies rather than resolves these questions, because it relocates the production of mathematical justification. Priorities for research include longer classroom-embedded trials, process-sensitive outcome measures, and studies that treat teacher orchestration as a manipulated variable rather than as background noise.
Elvir Čajić, S. Resic, Maid Omerović et al.· Asian Journal of Education a...· 0 citations
The integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into face-to-face compulsory education has accelerated globally, but the conceptual definition and pedagogical application of Digital Education (DE) remain unclear. This systematic review explores how DE is defined, implemented, and assessed in in-person primary and secondary school settings. Guided by PRISMA methodology, 33 peer-reviewed empirical studies published between January 2012 and June 2025 were selected from Scopus and Web of Science, and through reference checking. Methodological quality and potential sources of bias were appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), and that appraisal informed the interpretation of the evidence. The results indicate significant ambiguity surrounding the term DE, which is often conflated with ICT use or digital competence. While many studies report positive outcomes in student engagement and basic skill acquisition, few articulate clear operational frameworks or pedagogical strategies for effective implementation. DE is predominantly applied to low-cognitive-demand tasks and is underused in promoting deeper learning. Key barriers include insufficient teacher training, fragmented educational policies, and infrastructural limitations. Nonetheless, when digital tools are intentionally combined with pedagogical goals—such as personalized instruction, learner autonomy, and content creation—DE demonstrates potential to improve motivation and support achievement. The findings suggest that well-designed DE can contribute to educational sustainability by strengthening learning opportunities, supporting equity and inclusion, and advancing Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), but they also highlight the need for coherent policies, teacher training, and equitable access to digital resources.
Héctor Martínez García, Marta Rubio Gómez-Cadiñanos, T. García et al.· Sustainability· 0 citations
A conceptual framework offering AI designers, teacher educators, and policymakers a psychologically grounded, empirically mapped, and internationally contextualised basis for developing AI-supported educational systems that advance equity, learner engagement, and meaningful educational transformation is proposed.
Arpana Koul· Review of Artificial Intelli...· 0 citations