A Systematic Review of AI Anxiety in Ghana’s Tertiary Education: A Competency Framework for Effective Integration of AI in Academia

Abstract

The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into higher education globally has exposed a significant barrier to adoption, particularly AI anxiety among faculty and administrators. While this phenomenon is recognized, its manifestations and drivers in resource-constrained contexts like Ghana remain critically underexplored. Nonetheless, with a literature bias towards Western, individual-centric models. This study addresses this gap by conducting a systematic review of literature from 2019 onwards to investigate the nature of AI anxiety within Ghana's tertiary education sector. The findings reveal that anxiety is not primarily a symptom of individual technophobia but a rational response to a profound institutional void, a lack of clear policies, ethical guidelines, and reliable support infrastructure. Consequently, the study posits that prevailing models like the Technology Acceptance Model are insufficient for this context. The primary achievement of this research is the development of a novel Dual-Layered Competency Framework, which argues that sustainable AI integration requires the symbiotic development of institutional competencies (policy, infrastructure) and individual competencies (AI literacy, ethics). This reframing shifts the focus from remediating individual anxiety to building institutional resilience. The new knowledge created underscores that effective integration is a function of institutional readiness. For policymakers and university leadership, this implies that resource allocation must be strategically directed towards strengthening institutional governance and support systems as a prerequisite to, and enabler of, meaningful staff development. The study concludes that a holistic, institution-first approach is essential for mitigating anxiety and harnessing AI’s potential for academic advancement in Ghana and similar contexts.