The Facilitators and Barriers of AI in Gamified Teaching Models for Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) and gamification are receiving more attention in early childhood education (ECE). Their integration is still not well studied. AI gives personalized feedback and adaptive learning. Gamification keeps children motivated with tasks and rewards. This paper reviews recent work on AI-supported gamified teaching in ECE. It looks at key technologies such as speech recognition, social robots, and virtual reality. It also examines models like role-play, simulation, and story-based learning. Findings show that these methods can improve engagement, thinking skills, and social interaction. They also give teachers real-time feedback and data analysis. There are still problems. These include complex system design, unequal access to resources, and possible bias in algorithms. Such issues raise concerns about fairness and long-term impact. Based on this review, it is suggested that future research should include longitudinal studies, attend to children's voices and agency, and examine diverse and under-resourced contexts. Such efforts are needed to ensure that AI-enhanced gamified teaching supports not only engagement but also fairness and inclusion in early childhood education.