AI Literacy in K-12 and Higher Education in the Wake of Generative AI: An Integrative Review

2025-02-27

AI Summary

This study addresses the conceptual ambiguity, terminological inconsistency, and divergent pedagogical approaches surrounding AI literacy in K–12 and higher education amid the rise of generative AI. Drawing on a systematic integrative review of 124 empirical and theoretical studies published since 2020, it proposes an original “three-dimensional literacy framework × three-perspective AI conception” model. The framework rigorously distinguishes three AI literacy types—functional, critical, and vicarious—and aligns them with corresponding AI conceptions: technical, instrumental, and sociocultural. Employing thematic coding and conceptual mapping, the analysis exposes widespread terminological confusion and underscores the necessity of lexical differentiation. Key research gaps are identified, including mechanisms for curriculum-integrated instructional design, structured ethical reflection pathways, and cross-educational-stage articulation. Collectively, this work establishes a structured, consensus-oriented foundation for advancing both theoretical understanding and evidence-informed practice in AI literacy education.

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: Understanding People, Theories, Concepts and Methods
• Philosophy and Ethics of AI: AI & Epistemology
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Conceptual Inference and Reasoning

Application Category

• Semantics and Knowledge: Data modeling to support human-machine intelligence, including LLMs agents, intelligent system behavior, explanations, and user-friendly interactions
• Social Networks and Social Media: Generative AI / large language models and their impact on social systems
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Agentic search

Abstract

Even though AI literacy has emerged as a prominent education topic in the wake of generative AI, its definition remains vague. There is little consensus among researchers and practitioners on how to discuss and design AI literacy interventions. The term has been used to describe both learning activities that train undergraduate students to use ChatGPT effectively and having kindergarten children interact with social robots. This paper applies an integrative review method to examine empirical and theoretical AI literacy studies published since 2020. In synthesizing the 124 reviewed studies, three ways to conceptualize literacy-functional, critical, and indirectly beneficial-and three perspectives on AI-technical detail, tool, and sociocultural-were identified, forming a framework that reflects the spectrum of how AI literacy is approached in practice. The framework highlights the need for more specialized terms within AI literacy discourse and indicates research gaps in certain AI literacy objectives.

Problem

• Defining AI literacy in education post-generative AI emergence.
• Lack of consensus on AI literacy intervention design.
• Need for specialized terms and addressing research gaps.

Innovation

• Integrative review of AI literacy studies
• Framework with functional, critical, beneficial literacy
• Technical, tool, sociocultural AI perspectives