Artificial Intelligence in Alternative, Nonformal, and Adult Learning in the Global South: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Systematic Review

ABSTRACT: Background: Research on artificial intelligence (AI) in education has expanded rapidly, yet it remains concentrated in higher education and formal schooling in high-income countries. Alternative, nonformal, and adult learning programs, which serve out-of-school youth and adults across the Global South, are largely absent from this evidence base. No systematic synthesis has examined how AI is used in these programs, what outcomes it produces, and what conditions shape its adoption. Objective: This protocol describes a mixed-methods systematic review that will identify, appraise, and synthesize empirical evidence on AI use in alternative, nonformal, and adult learning programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods: The review follows the JBI methodology for mixed-methods systematic reviews and is reported according to PRISMA-P. Searches will cover Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, ERIC, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, four regional databases, and grey literature sources for studies published from January 2015 onward. Two reviewers will independently screen records, extract data, and appraise quality using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Quantitative findings will be synthesized narratively following the Synthesis Without Meta-analysis (SWiM) guideline, with meta-analysis where at least three comparable studies exist. Qualitative findings will be synthesized thematically. Both strands will be integrated through a convergent segregated approach, and certainty of evidence will be rated with GRADE and GRADE-CERQual. Discussion: The review will provide the first consolidated synthesis of AI use in second-chance and adult learning in the Global South. Its findings will inform program managers, teacher developers, and policymakers responsible for programs such as the Philippine Alternative Learning System (ALS). Keywords: artificial intelligence; generative AI; nonformal education; adult learning; Alternative Learning System; Global South; systematic review protocol