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Pedagogy. Theory & Practice
  • Review
  • November 13, 2025
  • Open access

Personalized learning in English language teaching in higher education: a systematic review

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Abstract

The work aims to comprehensively systematize and analyze the effectiveness of digital tools for personalized learning (PL) in English language teaching practice in higher education, based on a systematic review of contemporary scientific literature. The article examines methodological approaches to integrating PL into instructional practice, provides a classification of digital tools used for personalizing the learning process, identifies the advantages of the PL model within the educational context, and also outlines the challenges and issues associated with the implementation of personalized learning in English language teaching practice. The scientific novelty of the work resides in the first-ever attempt to systematize digital tools for evaluating the effectiveness of PL based on a comprehensive analysis of modern academic publications. The lack of scientific consensus, stemming from the significant diversity of PL models, methodological approaches, and educational environments, gives this aspect particular relevance. The findings reveal a lack of a unified approach to technology selection for PL assessment, with AI/ML-based systems and adaptive platforms emerging as the most prominent solutions. The study confirmed that PL possesses significant potential for enhancing students' cognitive activity and developing basic language competencies. Nonetheless, the effective implementation of PL is impeded by considerable obstacles, comprising technical and technological limitations as well as the imperative need for comprehensive modernization of the educational infrastructure.

Research materials

  1. IBE: UNESCO International Bureau of Education. 2013. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000223058

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Author information

Svetlana Yurievna Dmitrieva

PhD

Perm National Research Polytechnic University

About this article

Publication history

  • Received: August 11, 2025.
  • Published: November 13, 2025.

Keywords

  • персонализированное обучение
  • цифровые технологии
  • цифровые инструменты
  • обучение английскому языку
  • высшая школа
  • personalized learning
  • digital technologies
  • digital tools
  • English language teaching
  • higher education

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© 2025 The Author(s)
© 2025 Gramota Publishing, LLC

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)