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Review of 29 studies finds AI tools gave students a medium boost in higher order thinking

Study title: Influence of artificial intelligence tools on higher order thinking skills: a meta-analysis

Evidence type
Systematic review or meta-analysis
Sample
n = 2,966
Sources
1 sourcePeer-reviewed
Published
1 min read
Truvace record
TRV-2026-2851cite or check it

Study title: Influence of artificial intelligence tools on higher order thinking skills: a meta-analysis

A meta-analysis pooled 29 articles published between 2000 and 2023, covering 2.966 participants, to test how AI in education affects students' higher order thinking skills. It found a medium positive effect, with instruction that included AI technologies producing skills 9.3% higher.

Read the study abstract

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has received scholarly attention and is becoming a common trend in the field of education, while the cultivation of higher order thinking (HOT) skills still remains as one of the crucial educational objectives. Recent years have seen substantial amount of research exploring the influence of Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIEd) use on each HOT skills of students, which necessitated a systematic review to amalgamate the findings quantitatively. This meta-analysis stud…

The gain

A meta-analysis of 29 studies with 2.966 participants found classrooms using AI tools had a medium positive effect on students' higher order thinking skills, with scores 9.3% higher.

In brief

The question matters because building higher order thinking remains a core educational goal, and a large amount of research has studied AI's influence on individual skills. Pooling those results gives a single estimate across many settings.

The size of the effect varied significantly by country, year of publication and the specific AI tool or agent used, so the average does not apply equally everywhere.

Main points

  1. The meta-analysis included 29 articles with a total of 2.966 participants.
  2. The included studies span the years 2000 to 2023.
  3. AI-supported instruction had a medium positive effect on higher order thinking skills.
  4. Instructional settings with AI technologies enhanced these skills 9.3% higher.
  5. Country, year of publication and AI tool or agent significantly moderated the size of the effect.

The full story

The authors set out to combine quantitatively the findings of recent research on how artificial intelligence in education affects each higher order thinking skill among students. They also tested which moderator variables change the size of the effect.

Across 29 articles and 2.966 participants from 2000 to 2023, they report a medium positive effect. Classrooms using AI technologies showed higher order thinking skills 9.3% higher than comparison settings.

Moderator analysis showed that the country where a study took place, its year of publication and the AI tool or agent used significantly shaped the effect sizes.

Sources

1 on file
  1. Interactive Learning Environmentsdoi:10.1080/10494820.2024.2402028
    Peer-reviewed2024-09-16

Talk it over

Four questions to start onWho gets this benefit, and who was left out of the study or story?

Start with a question

Review of 29 studies finds AI tools gave students a medium boost in higher order thinkinghttps://truvace.com/item/influence-of-artificial-intelligence-tools-on-higher-order-thinking-skills-a-met

  1. Who gets this benefit, and who was left out of the study or story?

    The gain A meta-analysis of 29 studies with 2.966 participants found classrooms using AI tools had a medium positive effect on students' higher order thinking skills, with scores 9.3% higher.

    Answer in the thread

  2. How do we know? What can this kind of evidence show, and what can’t it?

    The evidence This rests on a systematic review or meta-analysis with a sample of 2,966, from Interactive Learning Environments.

    Answer in the thread

  3. What does it leave open? What else would you want to know before acting on it?

    The record’s own caveat The effect sizes varied significantly by country, publication year and the AI tool or agent used, so the pooled average may not hold across all settings.

    Answer in the thread

  4. Have you seen AI used this way where you study, work or live? Did it go the same way?

    Answer in the thread

The questions are the same on every record. The details under them are taken from this record as written.

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