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African scholarship on AI in accounting education and SDG alignment

Source article: Artificial Intelligence in Accounting Pedagogy and SDG Alignment

Despite this interest in artificial intelligence-based accounting pedagogy, the extent to which African scholarship contributes to the field and aligns with sustainable development priorities remains underexplored. This study fills this gap by applying a PRISMA-guided bibliometric analysis alongside an assessment of alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals. Data were drawn from the Scopus and Web of Science databases, yielding a final sample of 148 publications released between 1986 and 2026. Bibliometri…

By the Truvace desk2 min read1 sourcePeer-reviewedTRV-2026-2069· cite & verify
Artificial Intelligence in Accounting Pedagogy and SDG Alignment
"Academic Life" by Les Roches is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/.
Trace impact readingNegative state
P 71The P score combines the specificity and measured human impact of the grounded problem claim with the strength of this Trace’s cited sources.

Both sides are scored from claims and sources, not community votes.

G 66The G score combines the specificity and measured human impact of the grounded gain claim with the strength of this Trace’s cited sources.

In brief

A bibliometric review of 148 publications from Scopus and Web of Science, covering 1986 to 2026, mapped how research on AI in accounting education has developed. Output grew at 5.34% annually and rose sharply after generative AI emerged in 2022.

The findings matter because the research that shapes accounting education with AI is concentrated in wealthy countries, leaving African perspectives under-represented. The authors argue that more capacity, infrastructure and collaboration are needed, but the study measures publications rather than classroom outcomes.

Main points

  1. The sample was 148 publications drawn from Scopus and Web of Science between 1986 and 2026.
  2. Annual growth in the field is 5.34%, with a sharp rise in output since 2022.
  3. The United States, Australia and the United Kingdom dominate productivity and citation impact.
  4. Dominant themes include AI, accounting education, data analytics, skills development and higher education.
  5. African work aligns implicitly with SDG 4 and SDG 9, but explicit SDG framing is limited.

The gain

African scholarship on AI in accounting education shows substantial implicit alignment with SDG 4 and SDG 9 and contributes meaningfully to AI-driven educational innovation.

The problem

Research output and citation impact on AI in accounting education are concentrated in developed economies, while African contributions are limited, mostly from South Africa, and explicit SDG integration is weak.

The rundown

The study used a PRISMA-guided process and Bibliometrix R package tools, including Bradford's Law, Lotka's Law, co-authorship mapping, thematic analysis and conceptual structure mapping.

African scholarship is described as contributing meaningfully to AI-driven educational innovation, yet its contributions are comparatively limited and largely driven by South Africa.

The authors call for greater investment in research capacity, digital infrastructure, international collaboration and SDG-oriented scholarship to strengthen the continent's influence in global accounting education discourse.

What this doesn’t fix

The study analyses publication patterns and thematic alignment, not learning outcomes. It also notes that explicit SDG integration in the literature remains limited, so the alignment found is largely implicit.

Sources

  1. Peer-reviewedJournal of Computer Adaptive Testing in Africa2026-10-19

The debate