Ai literacy and academic integrity in a globalised educational system: A systematic review.

Authors

  • Albert Byiringiro Faculty of Education, Bishop Stuart University, Mbarara-Uganda Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51168/x2x7q303

Keywords:

Artificial intelligence, AI literacy, ; Academic integrity, ; Higher education, Globalisation

Abstract

The rapid integration of AI in higher education has revolutionized teaching, evaluation, and learning mechanisms, but at the same time, there are global concerns about the AI-related threats to academic integrity. Background: The increased usage of generative AI in higher education has further fueled the debate on the application of good AI practices and the need for AI literacy to ensure academic integrity in various educational settings. Objective: This systematic review was conducted to identify the definition of AI literacy and its association with AI-related integrity challenges in higher education settings. Methods: The qualitative thematic synthesis was conducted on 29 peer-reviewed articles (2015 to 2025) following the guidelines of the PRISMA 2020 protocol, utilizing literature from prominent scholarly databases. Results: The results of the systematic review indicate that there are various definitions of AI literacy in various settings, and there is no unified definition of AI literacy in learning settings. The results further indicate that there are various AI-related threats to academic integrity in various settings, and the usage of ChatGPT is on the rise, leading to plagiarism and authorship issues in various settings. Regional analysis: The results indicate that there are more studies in the Global North compared to the Global South. Conclusion: The results indicate that there is an association between AI literacy and AI-related integrity challenges in various settings. Implications for future research: The results of the systematic review indicate the need for further research to investigate the effect of AI literacy on good AI practices in various settings.

Author Biography

  • Albert Byiringiro, Faculty of Education, Bishop Stuart University, Mbarara-Uganda

    is a part-time lecturer at Mount Kigali University and the Institut Catholique de Kabgayi (Rwanda) and offers lectures and supervises student teachers for education-related fields of study. He has vast knowledge and experience in education planning and management, and education research, focusing on the innovations that exist and are applicable in the learning processes and methodologies. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. studies in Education Planning, Management, and Administration at Bishop Stuart University (Uganda). He has also published papers that focus on the involvement of the stakeholders in the education system of Rwanda, aside from others that are relevant to global education. Albert Byiringiro is conversant with English, French, Swahili, and Kinyarwanda. He also undertakes research and consultancy work that focuses on his area of interest, with the objective of enhancing educational success and the digital transformation process that supports social development and the process of globalization.

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Published

2026-04-01

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 4 (2026): APRIL 2026 ISSUE

Section

Original Peer-Reviewed Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Albert Byiringiro (Author)

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How to Cite

Byiringiro, A. (2026). Ai literacy and academic integrity in a globalised educational system: A systematic review. SJ Education Research Africa, 3(4), 13. https://doi.org/10.51168/x2x7q303

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