Potentials of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing Postgraduate Research Skills in Sustainable Language Education: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been utilized in multiple disciplines, including educational areas, to improve and expedite various tasks that were once considered to be time-consuming and exhaustive. In education, although extensive research has been conducted to examine the integration of AI in pedagogical designs and practices, research focusing on AI utilities in enhancing research skills among students, particularly postgraduates, remains inadequately investigated. This gap exists despite the fact that postgraduates are the central point of research work due to their substantial involvement in the thorough methodological process. Therefore, this review systematically examines the available evidence on AI's potential to improve postgraduates’ research skills in sustainable language education. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), the review employed systematic searching strategies in Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ERIC. A total of 22 articles were included and data from the selected literature were subsequently extracted and examined using thematic analysis, which revealed four major themes and 13 subthemes explaining the substantial potential of AI in this context. This diverse potential was discussed through the lens of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to illustrate how AI can sustainably support research skills development among postgraduates. Thus, by referring to this review, policymakers are encouraged to develop suitable programs, guidelines, and frameworks for postgraduates or novice researchers to use AI responsibly and thoughtfully to optimize their research-based tasks and academic writing.