Colonial mediations and sovereign possibilities: a synthesis-derived decolonial heuristic layered equity framework for equitable generative AI integration in K-12 and higher education

Purpose This critical integrative synthesis examines generative AI integration in K-12 and higher education through an explicit decolonial lens. It focuses on how colonial mediations shape opportunities, challenges and strategies for equitable access and outcomes aligned with UN SDG 10. Design/methodology/approach Following a critical integrative review paradigm that fuses the integrative logic of Whittemore and Knafl (2005) with reflexive thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006) and decolonial theory, 58 sources (2020–2026) were identified through systematic search and purposive theoretical sampling. Sources prioritizing structural critique, Global South perspectives, K-12 evidence gaps, output-level neocolonial patterns and contextual agency were retained. Sources were appraised with the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and analyzed through a seven-phase relational mapping protocol that translated thematic codes into the layered architecture of the Decolonial Heuristic Layered Equity Framework (DHLEF). Robustness of core pathways was confirmed through sensitivity analyses. Findings Three interdependent themes – transformative opportunities, interlinked challenges and enabling strategies – emerge when read through decolonial theory. Opportunities appear as outer potential outcomes mediated by challenges whose effects are conditioned by data colonialism, epistemic colonialism, infrastructure dependence, governance colonialism and output-level neocolonial patterns. Strategies achieve moderating effects most effectively when reframed as sovereignty practices, including contextual hacking and language sovereignty. The DHLEF renders these colonial mediations visible in hypothesized relational pathways and supplies a context-differentiated implementation roadmap grounded in empirical evidence from low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and K-12 contexts. Research limitations/implications Reliance on secondary and grey literature limits depth and generalizability. The DHLEF remains a synthesis-derived heuristic whose pathways constitute propositions requiring empirical validation through longitudinal and intersectional designs. The synthesis provides a transparent foundation for structural analysis rather than prescriptive protocols. Practical implications The DHLEF supplies institutions and policymakers with a context-sensitive, non-prescriptive heuristic for navigating generative AI integration. It enables differentiated decision-making by educational level and geopolitical resource setting, positioning sovereignty-oriented practices – offline-first tools, community governance and Indigenous data protocols – as conditional moderators rather than sequential prerequisites. Educators and technology providers can apply the framework to diagnose infrastructure dependence, epistemic bias and accessibility barriers prior to deployment, while prioritizing institutional support structures empirically shown to strengthen equitable outcomes in low-resource and K-12 environments. Implementation remains iterative and locally calibrated rather than universally prescribed. Social implications By rendering colonial mediations analytically central, the DHLEF advances structural justice rather than distributional inclusion alone, interrupting asymmetries in knowledge validation and educational opportunity. It positions sovereignty practices – contextual hacking, language sovereignty, community data governance and offline-first infrastructures – as necessary interruptions of data, epistemic and infrastructural extraction, with particular urgency for marginalized learners in Global South and low-resource contexts. The framework reframes equitable GenAI integration as an ongoing political and ethical project of refusal and resurgence, rather than a technical optimization problem, thereby aligning educational practice with the structural demands of UN SDG 10. Originality/value The DHLEF advances understanding by converting thematic synthesis into a relational structure that makes colonial mediations analytically central. It extends prior static ethics and education frameworks through decolonial integration and synthesis-derived pathways. It incorporates contextual differentiation by educational level and geopolitical setting, positions 2025–2026 trends as amplifiers of colonial dynamics and offers a tool for equitable GenAI integration that centers sovereignty rather than diffusion. The framework resolves three persistent tensions in existing scholarship: the absence of dynamic relational modelling, the dominance of distributional over structural equity framings and Northern-centric biases that have limited applicability to Global South and K-12 contexts.