Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41815245›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in psychology2026

Impact of educational agents on student's learning outcomes: a meta-analysis.

Xi Xu, Xin Cao, Qian Wu

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Xi XuCollege of Fine Arts, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China.
Xin CaoSchool of Art and Design, Fuzhou University of International Studies and Trade, Fuzhou, China.
Qian WuSchool of Art and Design, Fuzhou University of International Studies and Trade, Fuzhou, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: With the deep integration of artificial intelligence technology in the field of education, educational agents as an intelligent teaching tool possessing interactive and personalised characteristics have drawn increasing attention for their impact on learning outcomes. Methods: This study employs a meta-analysis methodology to systematically synthesise 52 empirical investigations published in internationally authoritative journals between 2015 and 2025. It examines the overall effect of educational agents on student learning outcomes, their specific manifestations at cognitive and non-cognitive levels, and the influence of moderating variables such as types of agents, subjects, sample size, and academic level. Results: Findings indicate that educational agents exert a significant positive influence on student learning outcomes. Regarding cognitive abilities, they demonstrate moderate to substantial enhancement effects on creative thinking, academic performance, and communication skills, while their impact on spatial ability and problem-solving skills falls below statistical significance. Regarding non-cognitive abilities, learning motivation and learning attitude showed significant enhancement, whereas the effects on learning engagement and learning interest were smaller and non-significant. Moderation analyses indicated that the impact of educational agents was particularly pronounced among chatbots, universities, small-scale settings, and engineering technology disciplines. Discussion: This study reveals limitations in educational agents' cultivation of complex abilities and personalised adaptation, providing empirical evidence for their precise application and optimised design.

Indexed as

cognitive abilitieseducational agentslearning outcomesmeta-analysisnon-cognitive abilities

Identifiers

PMID41815245
PMCPMC12973282

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.