Beyond Isolated Interventions: An Ecological and Infrastructural Synthesis of K–12 Cybersecurity Education Research

As digital technologies increasingly shape young people’s social, academic, and civic lives, cybersecurity has become a foundational concern in K–12 computing education. While prior research offers valuable insights into curricula, tools, and pedagogy, less attention has been paid to how these efforts operate within broader educational systems. This systematic literature review examines K–12 cybersecurity education as an interconnected learning ecology embedded in sociotechnical and institutional infrastructures. Drawing on learning ecology and infrastructure perspectives, we synthesize international research published in ACM computing education venues across four dimensions: conceptual rationales, disciplinary contexts and topics, pedagogical enactments and mediational tools, and systemic conditions. Our synthesis identifies five infrastructural and ecological inner contradictions: Top-Down Origins, Fragile Learning Progressions; Disciplinary Contexts, Uneven Reach; Inclusive Aims, Exclusive Infrastructures; Technical Emphasis, Marginal Socio-Ethical Integration; and Local Successes, Fragile Educational Ecologies. By theorizing these systemic tensions, the review argues for integrative approaches to designing coherent K–12 cybersecurity learning ecologies. Building on these insights, we provide a set of guiding questions for future empirical research to explore, test, and refine design principles and policy strategies.