The Adventure of Artificial Intelligence in Educational Research from the Past to the Present

This study aims to examine scientific studies on artificial intelligence (AI) in educational research from the past to the present, based on the Web of Science database. In this context, 1465 scientific articles containing AI in education from the past to the present were evaluated. Articles accessed from the WoS database were examined using a bibliometric analysis method according to productivity, network analyses, conceptual structure, and thematic map titles. Within the scope of productivity, authors, institutions, countries, citations within the scope of network analysis, authors, institutions, sources, and countries were included in the analysis. In addition, thematic changes over the years, word cloud, collaborations, conceptual formations, and thematic mapping were carried out based on keywords. In this context, 1465 scientific articles published by 3783 authors representing 86 countries were included in the research. According to the research findings, the number of studies and citations on AI in education has increased significantly, especially in the last five years. The Education University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong stand out as productive institutions. While China, England, and the USA stand out as the countries of responsible authors, Hwang, G. J., stands out as the author of network analysis, and the Computer Education journal stands out as the journal. As a thematic change in the studies, there has been an evolution towards new technological developments such as deep learning, machine learning, ChatGPT, chatbots, learning analytics, blockchain, and generative AI. According to the factor analysis conducted on the conceptual structure of AI-related studies in education, it was determined that it explained 48% of the total variability. According to the study findings, studies on AI applications in education should be enriched from a disciplinary perspective, and efficiency should be increased regarding their reflections on teaching.