Problem solving: AI and its influence on metacognition in learning, a systematic review

Vásquez-Morante P.F.; Suárez-Sánchez I.; Murillo-Benavides M.G.; Barrionuevo-Poquet A. · Clio. Revista de Historia, Ciencias Humanas y Pensamiento Critico. (2026) · DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20073901

Resumen

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into educational processes is not a neutral phenomenon; rather, it constitutes a socio-technical transformation that reshapes how students learn, regulate their thinking, and approach problem situations. Within this framework, this article aimed to analyze, from a critical education perspective, the influence of AI on the metacognitive processes involved in problem solving. To this end, a systematic review of 25 studies published between 2022 and 2026 was conducted, based on a qualitative analysis supported by a manual synthesis matrix. The findings were organized into three analytical dimensions: adaptive scaffolding, epistemic interaction, and executive regulation. The results indicate that AI can strengthen Problem-Based Learning (PBL) when its pedagogical integration fosters critical validation of information, reflective decision-making, and students’ cognitive sovereignty. It is concluded that these technologies shift traditional PBL toward a model of hybrid inquiry, in which the use of intelligent tools requires higher levels of metacognitive awareness so that technology serves to enhance thinking rather than replace the learner’s intellectual activity.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco; Universidad Católica de Santa María; Universidad Nacional José Faustino Sánchez Carrión