Meta-Analysis on the Effects of AI and Digital Play Activities in Early Childhood

The rapid advancement of AI technology has led to its widespread adoption in education, including early childhood education. AI and digital technologies are now essential for fostering key competencies such as computational thinking. These technologies are being incorporated into educational content and teaching methods, resulting in various experimental studies on their effectiveness. This study performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the positive impact of AI and digital technologies when applied to play activities in early childhood education settings. A total of 41 domestic studies were analyzed, including 9 dissertations and 32 journal articles, using a random-effects model to calculate effect sizes. The overall effect size, adjusted for publication bias, was 1.17, indicating a large effect based on Cohen’s criteria.When categorized, AI and digital literacy education, along with unplugged activities, showed higher effect sizes compared to robotics and block-based play. In terms of learning outcomes, problem-solving and logical inquiry exhibited the highest effect sizes, followed by creativity, representational skills, engagement, and socio-emotional competence. Based on these findings, the study offers recommendations for the future development of AI-based play activities in early childhood education, emphasizing their potential benefits and directions for further improvement.