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Cited by 48Artificial Intelligence in EducationEducation and Critical Thinking DevelopmentArtificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education

Integrating critical thinking and artificial intelligence in higher education: A bibliometric and systematic review of skills and strategies

Open access
Salido, Achmad, Syarif, Irman, Sitepu, Melyani Sari, Suparjan, Wana, Prima Rias, Taufika, Ryan, Melisa, Rahyuni·2025·Social Sciences & Humanities Open
DOI 10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101924
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Abstract

This study examines the academic landscape on integrating artificial intelligence and critical thinking in higher education, revealing conceptualizations, competencies required by students, challenges and recommended learning strategies. The study employs a bibliometric analysis approach combined with a systematic literature review as a qualitative approach. A total of 640 documents were retrieved from the Scopus database using the query: (“critical thinking” AND (“artificial intelligence” OR AI) AND (“higher education” OR university OR college)), accessed on July 10, 2025. The dataset was limited to 2023–2025, reflecting the period following the widespread adoption of ChatGPT and similar generative AI tools in academic contexts. From this, 290 documents were selected for bibliometric analysis, and 23 were in-depth synthesized based on established inclusion criteria. The findings reveal a growing consolidation of research on AI and critical thinking, driven by a small group of highly influential authors and concentrated in prominent interdisciplinary journals. Five thematic clusters were identified: pedagogical innovation, psychological dimensions, academic ethics, systemic integration, and AI-related literacies. Emerging research directions include personalized learning, digital literacy, engineering education, and ethical AI applications. Critical thinking is conceptualized as a purposeful, evaluative, and self-regulated process that must be preserved despite increasing reliance on AI tools. Key challenges include uncritical dependence on AI, digital literacy disparities, lack of system transparency, and institutional limitations. The study highlights the need for inclusive and adaptive instructional frameworks that integrate AI in ways that support critical thinking in diverse higher education settings.

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  • Literacy has outcomes that extend beyond technical mastery, shaping students' confidence, ethical reasoning, and psychosocial resilience.

    “Secondly, literacy has outcomes that extend beyond technical mastery, shaping students' confidence, ethical reasoning, and psychosocial resilience (Salido et al., 2025;Zhang, Prasad, & Schroeder, 2025).”

    From Understanding AI Literacy Among College Students: Voices from a Historically Black College and University (2026) · cites this paper as Salido et al., 2025

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Authors
Salido, A., Syarif, I., Sitepu, M. S., Suparjan, Wana, P. R., Taufika, R., & Melisa, R.
Affiliations
  • Yogyakarta State University (ID)
  • Indonesia University of Education (ID)
Corresponding author
Salido, Achmad
ORCID
Venue
Social Sciences & Humanities Open
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2025
Volume
12
Pages
101924
ISSN
2590-2911 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101924
OpenAlex
W4413751714
Cited by
48
References
15
Citations by year
2026: 43 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 1
FWCI
7.22
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Social Sciences & Humanities Open (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan
  • Kementerian Pendidikan
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Artificial Intelligence in Education
  • Social Sciences › Education › Education and Critical Thinking Development
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Health Informatics › Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
Keywords
critical thinking, artificial intelligence in education, generative AI, ChatGPT, higher education, AI literacy, digital literacy, academic ethics, educational innovation, AI dependency, personalized learning, engineering education, ethical AI, student self-regulation

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