Strategic alignment in AI in education: a scoping review of planning-cycle levers and educator acceptance

Purpose This scoping review maps how artificial intelligence (AI) enters educational strategic planning and identifies educator-related determinants and barriers that shape sustained adoption and strategic alignment. Design/methodology/approach Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews, searches were conducted in ERIC, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed/MEDLINE, IEEE Xplore and ProQuest through September 5, 2025. Setting, Perspective, Intervention, Comparison, Evaluation (SPICE) and Sample, Phenomenon of Interest, Design, Evaluation, Research type (SPIDER) frameworks informed question formulation and screening, while Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) and Authority, Accuracy, Coverage, Objectivity, Date, and Significance (AACODS) supported transparent appraisal across empirical and conceptual evidence. Nine studies met eligibility criteria reflecting evidence scarcity at the strategy–acceptance interface. Descriptive mapping and thematic synthesis were used to develop an integrative model. Findings AI appeared across multiple planning stages, most often at implementation, where institutions emphasised infrastructure, organisational capacity, workforce development and governance. Enablers of educator acceptance included leadership and stakeholder engagement, professional development and perceived usefulness. Barriers included ethical and privacy concerns, resistance to change, skills and time constraints and risks of over-reliance. Mission, vision and values were rarely explicit, suggesting that strategic anchoring is often implied rather than operationalised. Research limitations/implications Evidence is concentrated in higher education and English-language sources and is largely cross-sectional. Future longitudinal and comparative studies should test the proposed pathway. Practical implications Institutions should manage adoption across the planning cycle with governance, professional learning and policy scaffolding aligned to institutional purpose, supported by vendor oversight. Originality/value The review links strategic planning and educator acceptance in a single framework, shifting from listing barriers to specifying planning-stage levers relevant to Euro-Mediterranean contexts.