Pedagogical agents in K-12 education: a scoping review

Over the past three decades the field of pedagogical agents (PAs) has seen significant growth, but no review has specifically focused on the design and use of PAs for K-12 students, despite the fact that an early meta-analysis showed that they receive the most benefits from learning from or with PAs. Our systematic search revealed 112 studies that met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Our findings revealed a plethora of studies investigating the use of PAs with K-12 populations and a considerable number of longitudinal studies, both of which the field has long stated did not exist in significant numbers. Our findings contrast long-held findings in the field, further support others, and highlight areas where further experimentation and research synthesis are needed.