AI integration in EFL curriculum and pedagogical practices: A systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33474/j-reall.v7i2.25571Keywords:
AI, bibliometric analysis, EFL curriculum, pedagogical practices, systematic literature reviewAbstract
The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping English as a foreign language (EFL) education, particularly in teaching, assessment, feedback, and personalized learning. Existing reviews have largely focused on individual AI tools or isolated pedagogical outcomes, offering limited understanding of how AI is integrated across curriculum objectives, instructional activities, learning progression, assessment, and teacher AI literacy. Addressing this gap, this study analyzes 190 Scopus-indexed articles and reviews published between January 2020 and April 2026 using an integrated bibliometric and systematic literature review (SLR). Using Biblioshiny in RStudio for bibliometric mapping and PRISMA 2020 for article selection and reporting (n = 40), the study addresses three research questions concerning publication growth, source distribution, geographical contribution, and thematic structure (RQ1), dominant pedagogical approaches and curriculum frameworks (RQ2), and emerging gaps and future research directions (RQ3). Findings reveal a sharp increase in publications after 2023, with China, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia as the most productive contributing countries. Thematic analysis identified five major domains: teacher readiness and AI literacy, AI-supported pedagogical practices, curriculum integration and instructional design, learning outcomes and assessment, and ethical and implementation challenges. The integrated findings indicate that publication growth aligns structurally with the thematic emphasis on curriculum reform and AI literacy, while persistent gaps in longitudinal research, methodological diversity, and contextual governance remain. The review is limited to Scopus-indexed, open-access publications within the January 2020–April 2026 search period. Implications for EFL curriculum development, teacher education policy, and institutional governance are discussed.
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