REVIEW article
Front. Educ.
Sec. Digital Learning Innovations
Volume 10 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/feduc.2025.1667884
This article is part of the Research TopicArtificial Intelligence in Educational and Business Ecosystems: Convergent Perspectives on Agency, Ethics, and TransformationView all 11 articles
A systematic review on AI-enhanced pedagogies in higher education in the Global South
Provisionally accepted
Nomfundo Gloria Khoza
Freda Van Der Walt*- Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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Artificial intelligence is gaining traction in higher education for its ability to simulate human intelligence and support learning processes. This systematic review investigates how artificial intelligence-enhanced teaching approaches are being applied in higher education institutions across the Global South. The study draws on peer-reviewed literature identified through a structured search of SCOPUS and Web of Science databases, using clearly defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings reveal that most applications focus on improving technical efficiency and administrative functions, while pedagogical integration remains limited. Key barriers include inadequate infrastructure, unequal access to digital tools, limited faculty preparedness, and ethical considerations. However, the review also highlights opportunities for locally adapted solutions and collaborative innovation. The study concludes with recommendations to guide policy and practice and outlines a future research agenda aimed at promoting equitable and context-sensitive use of artificial intelligence in higher education within the Global South.
Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI), AI-enhanced learning, Pedagogical innovation, higher education, Global South
Received: 17 Jul 2025; Accepted: 09 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Khoza and Van Der Walt. 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: Freda Van Der Walt, fvdwalt@cut.ac.za
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.