1- Department of Foundations of Curriculum Development, Research Institute for Education, Organization of Research and Educational Planning, Tehran, Iran
2- Department of Counseling and Family Education, Research Institute for Education, Organization of Research and Educational Planning, Tehran, Iran
3- Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran |
Background and Purpose: The expansion of smart technologies has transformed the patterns of moral education among children within the family, school, and society, confronting the educational system with new opportunities and challenges in moral development. This study aimed to systematically review and meta-synthesize existing research on the role of smart technologies in children’s moral development, with an emphasis on education and upbringing, and on providing an analytical framework in this field.
Method: This study was a systematic review employing a meta-synthesis approach, conducted by the PRISMA guidelines and the Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research (ENTREQ) criteria. A comprehensive search was performed across Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), and Google Scholar, and covered the period from 2010 to 2025. The search was conducted using key terms related to children, artificial intelligence, smart technologies, moral concepts, and qualitative methods, combined with the Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 13 eligible studies were selected. Data were analyzed using the thematic synthesis approach of Thomas and Harden in three stages—open, descriptive, and analytical coding—with the aid of MAXQDA version 2024.
Results: Based on the identified codes, three analytical themes and eleven descriptive subthemes were extracted. The first analytical theme concerned opportunities for learning and moral development in interaction with smart technologies, encompassing issues such as anthropomorphism and the attribution of mind and emotion to smart systems, moral responsibility and accountability, ambiguity at the human–technology boundary, notions of justice, fairness, and honesty, moral growth and value learning, and the positive educational functions of smart technologies. The second analytical theme addressed moral and educational risks, highlighting children’s multidimensional vulnerabilities, their increasing trust and dependence on technology, and the blurred or conflicting educational roles of parents and teachers. The third analytical theme focused on macro-level frameworks and contextual factors, emphasizing the influence of cultural and developmental differences as well as theoretical and policy frameworks related to ethics and smart technologies.
Conclusion: Children’s interactions with smart technologies have a dual nature, demanding a critical, context-sensitive, and developmentally informed approach. The development of child-centered ethical frameworks, the enhancement of digital and moral literacy, and the active involvement of parents and educators are essential for ensuring the safe and constructive use of smart technologies. The findings of this study can contribute to strengthening moral education within Iran’s educational system—where the integration of smart technologies has become an inseparable part of teaching, learning, and moral development. |
