AI-Enabled Digital Learning Governance, Teacher Capacity, and Educational Equity: A Comparative Institutional Study of Finland and South Korea, 2020–2026

Abstract

This article examines how AI-enabled digital learning governance has reshaped teacher capacity, institutional implementation, and educational equity in Finland and South Korea between 2020 and 2026. The study argues that digital learning reform is not primarily a technological adoption problem but an institutional governance challenge involving curriculum policy, teacher professionalism, platform accountability, infrastructure equity, and public trust. Finland and South Korea were selected because both are high-performing education systems with strong digital capabilities, yet they represent different governance traditions. Finland emphasizes teacher autonomy, welfare-state equity, curriculum trust, and pedagogical professionalism, while South Korea emphasizes centralized policy coordination, advanced digital infrastructure, assessment modernization, and technology-driven innovation. The findings indicate that AI and digital learning policies improve educational outcomes only when institutional capacity, teacher agency, curriculum coherence, and ethical safeguards are aligned. The comparative evidence demonstrates that Finland’s strength lies in pedagogically grounded implementation, whereas South Korea’s strength lies in system-wide coordination and technological scalability. This article contributes to educational research by conceptualizing digital learning governance as a socio-institutional process linking educational policy, teacher capacity, instructional quality, and social development outcomes.