Systematic review of blockchain applications in the education sector of Bangladesh for advancing SDG 4

The adoption of Blockchain is being increasingly explored systematically and empirically. However, dearth of research remains in identifying and prioritizing blockchain application domains in education sector in emerging country context. To address this gap, this study performs a systematic literature review to identify potential areas of blockchain application and prioritize some essential domains to achieve the sustainable development goal 4 (SDG-4) in the context of Bangladesh’s higher education segment. The literature review was carried out through searching from major databases such as Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and ScienceDirect. Using targeted keywords, search was initiated from the year 2016 to 2024. Most widely used method named PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) flow diagram was utilized to assess and select relevant studies. A total of 39 articles were ultimately included for further analysis after completing a systematic screening process. The final incorporated papers include articles, conference papers, and book chapters. All included papers examine different aspects of blockchain application in educational institutions. Study results indicate that there are nine key areas where blockchain application can be proposed. After assessing the feasibility and urgency in terms of Bangladesh’s higher education context, five domains are prioritized for blockchain application. How these prioritized five domains contribute to different targets of SDG-4 is also reflected. The study outcomes provide systematic review and exploration of blockchain adoption in education with the sustainability perspective. Addressing such critical knowledge gap, this research puts foundation for future actions undertaken by policymakers, institutions, regulatory bodies, and educators to adopt blockchain in higher education to progress toward sustainability.