The Impact of AI-based Personalized Learning on Educational Gap Reduction in Private Tutoring: A Case Study of Teacher-Assistive Tools

This study conducts an in-depth analysis of AI-based personalized learning as an alternative to chronic dependence on private tutoring and the resulting educational inequality in South Korea, focusing on its actual impact on bridging educational gaps and its use as a teacher-assistive tool in the private education context. Using qualitative content analysis of 45 secondary sources (academic papers, institutional reports, and media articles published from 2021 to 2025), it identifies three core categories and nine sub-categories related to AI functions and characteristics, application in teaching and learning, and impact on educational gaps. The findings indicate that while AI personalized learning can expand access to customized education and thus help reduce educational gaps, disparities in AI literacy and self-directedness may produce new inequalities, and its effectiveness as a teacher-assistive tool ultimately depends on teacher competency and the establishment of a teacher–AI collaborative model.