Methodological trends and pedagogical applications of ChatGPT in education: An umbrella review of systematic reviews

Abstract

As one of the artificial intelligence tools used worldwide, ChatGPT is increasingly being integrated by users (teachers and learners) into their teaching and/or learning processes. This trend has attracted the attention of education researchers analyzing its benefits and limitations in pedagogical practices. This study presents an umbrella review examining trends in ChatGPT research in education, exploring the bibliographic characteristics of systematic reviews, the methodological approaches employed, and the pedagogical applications of ChatGPT. A systematic search following the PRISMA technique was conducted by querying Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect and ERIC. The twenty-seven reviews selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria were subjected to in-depth analysis. The results highlight a predominance of systematic reviews, and methodological quality assessment is not systematically conducted. From a pedagogical perspective, ChatGPT is primarily used for scientific writing assistance, pedagogical design support, virtual tutoring, or automated assessment and feedback, providing recommendations for future research.