Emerging technologies show a small-to-moderate positive overall effect on TEFL outcomes (g = 0.38, corrected to 0.28 for publication bias)¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r3 · q3 · i1 small
Currency · newest study 2026 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i1 A random-effects meta-analysis of 33 studies found a small-to-moderate positive overall effect of emerging technologies on TEFL outcomes (Hedges' g = 0.38, 95% CI [0.26, 0.50], p < 0.001), with substantial heterogeneity (I² = 90.14%). → Mengjia Liu 2026

Evidence¶

Mengjia Liu 2026¶

Mengjia Liu, Harwati Hashim, Nur Ainil Sulaiman. (2026). A systematic review of emerging technology applications for teaching English as a foreign language across different educational levels. Educational Research Review 52 (2026) 100795. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2026.100795

q3 · i1 · quant-synthesis · r3

Random-effects meta-analysis of 33 experimental and quasi-experimental studies (N = 3181) using Hedges' g. The review reports "a small-to-moderate positive overall effect" with substantial heterogeneity; 27 of 33 studies (81.8%) showed positive effects, 18 (54.5%) reaching statistical significance.

"The random-effects meta-analysis of all 33 studies revealed a small-to-moderate positive overall effect of emerging technologies on TEFL outcomes (Hedges’ g = 0.38, 95% CI [0.26, 0.50], p < 0.001), with substantial heterogeneity (Q(32) = 324.56, p < 0.001; I2 = 90.14%)."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Media comparison studies produce uninterpretable "no significant difference" findings. — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
• Significant publication bias was detected in the TEFL technology literature, with Egger's test confirming funnel-plot asymmetry — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Technology effects on TEFL outcomes trend upward across educational levels (primary g = 0.29, secondary g = 0.35, tertiary g = 0.44), though between-level differences are not statistically significant — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• GenAI-supported writing instruction yields a statistically significant positive pooled effect on L2/EFL writing performance (g = 0.80) with very high heterogeneity — related
• Mobile and ubiquitous learning was the most prevalent technology category in TEFL studies (10 of 33 studies), with AI/NLP second (7 studies) and VR/AR concentrated in tertiary education — related
• Using computerized systems as a differentiation tool has small to moderate positive effects on primary students' language and math performance — related
• Publication bias is present in the mathematics–writing literature, though the pooled estimate is robust in sensitivity analyses — related
• Technology-supported educational interventions are associated with higher metacognitive outcomes on average (g = 0.653), with substantial between-study heterogeneity — related
• GenAI effects on externally assessed learning are highly heterogeneous and conditional on prior knowledge, scaffolding, verification, and task design, with pooled effects unstable under publication-bias correction — related