REVIEW article
Front. Educ.
Sec. STEM Education
Volume 10 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/feduc.2025.1647573
Generative AI use in K-12 Education: A systematic review
Provisionally accepted
- Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia
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As generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) continues to generate interest and impact all levels of the educational system, including K-12, it is essential to understand how GenAI has been utilized at the K-12 level. This study explored the literature to understand what GenAI has been used for in K-12 and the reported impacts of its use. By investigating two prominent databases, Scopus and Web of Science, and employing snowballing techniques, this study included 30 papers after a rigorous search and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings indicate that most existing works focused on high school and preservice teachers. Researchers have explored various subject domains or areas of interest where GenAI has been used, with a significant focus on STEM-related subjects. The quasi-experimental approach emerged as the most commonly used design technique for implementing GenAI ideas in the classroom. Psychological variables were the primary measures used to gauge learning outcomes. This study further aggregates recommendations from prior works and suggests areas for future research. This paper contributes to efforts in creating frameworks and building resources needed to realize the full potential of GenAI in shaping the educational landscape, especially within the school system.
Keywords: Generative AI, ChatGPT, K-12 Education, teachers, Students
Received: 15 Jun 2025; Accepted: 19 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Alfarwan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Abdullah Alfarwan, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.