Generative AI and AI literacy in Elementary Education: A Systematic Review of Research published from 2021 to January 2026

This study explores how Generative AI has influenced research on AI literacy education at the elementary school level. A systematic literature review following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines was conducted to study implementations of Generative AI and methods of AI literacy education in elementary education. The review data includes 211 studies published from 2021 to January 2026 identified from SCOPUS, EBSCO, Web of Science, and Taylor & Francis. Thematic content analysis was used to identify and analyze themes in the review data to examine how the research field has developed after the release of Generative AI technology. The analysis identifies fundamental issues affecting the implementation of Generative AI in elementary education, including concerns about human interaction, varying approaches to ethical questions, and frequent concerns regarding the reliability of Generative AI outputs. The definition of the ethical dimensions of critical AI literacy is found to be inconclusive, calling for a broader adoption of critical AI literacy education at the elementary school level. Established use cases of Generative AI are identified, especially with self-regulated learning and foreign language studies. A holistic and integrated approach to AI literacy education for students and pre-service teachers is supported by the analysis. This study identifies research gaps for longitudinal research on Generative AI in elementary schools, parents’ role in students’ AI literacy, and a need to reach a scholarly consensus on the definition of AI ethics.