From digital literacy to AI literacy: A bibliometric review in elementary education contexts

Abstract

The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has increased the importance of AI literacy in elementary education contexts. This study aims to analyze the development and research trends of AI literacy in elementary education through a bibliometric perspective. The data were retrieved from Google Scholar using Publish or Perish, covering publications from 2020 to 2026. From the initial dataset of 500 documents, relevant publications were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and VOSviewer. The findings revealed a substantial increase in publication trends, particularly after 2023, with the highest number of publications identified in 2025. Citation analysis indicated that highly cited studies were dominated by themes related to AI literacy frameworks, generative AI, AI ethics, teacher readiness, and AI-supported learning environments. Furthermore, the co- occurrence, overlay, and density visualizations demonstrated that recent research increasingly emphasizes topics such as ChatGPT, generative AI, digital literacy, and AI literacy education in elementary school contexts. Overall, the findings indicate that AI literacy research has evolved from general digital literacy toward more AI-oriented educational approaches and future-ready learning environments in elementary education.